LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


Class 


JOHANN   HlNRICH   WlCHERN. 


THE 

INNER    MISSION 


A   HANDBOOK   FOR 
CHRISTIAN  WORKERS 


BY  THE 

REV.    J.    F.  OHL,    MUS.    D. 

Superintendent  of  the  Philadelphia  City  Mission  of  the  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Church 


PHILADELPHIA 

GENERAL  COUNCIL  PUBLICATION  HOUSE 

1522    Arch    Street 

191 1 


Copyright,  1911,  by  the 

Board  of  Publication  of  the  General  Council  of  the 

Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  in 

North  America 


All  rights  reserved 


PREFACE 


DURING  the  last  decade  the  term  "Inner  Mission"  has 
obtained  wide  currency  in  the  Lutheran  Church  of  Amer- 
ica. It  is  the  purpose  of  this  volume,  which  has  been  pre- 
pared at  the  request  of  the  Inner  Mission  Committee  of  the 
General  Council  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  in 
North  America,  to  help  those  whose  interest  has  been 
awakened  to  a  better  understanding  of  said  term,  and  to 
place  at  their  command  information  concerning  forms  and 
methods  of  Inner  Mission  work.  Much  of  what  the  author 
has  previously  written  and  published  on  the  subject  is  here, 
for  the  first  time,  issued  in  a  permanent  form. 

Any  one  acquainted  with  German  Inner  Mission  literature 
will  at  once  discover  for  how  much  of  his  material  the  author 
is  indebted  to  the  writings  of  Schafer,  Wurster,  Hennig, 
Uhlhorn,  and  others;  yet  while  making  the  freest  use  of  these 
he  has  endeavored  to  keep  in  view  American  conditions  and 
needs. 

To  designate  a  movement  rather  than  a  multitude  of  sep- 
arate activities,  and  in  accordance  with  the  general  usage, 
the  appellation  "  Inner  Mission  "  rather  than  "  Inner  Mis- 
sions "  is  used  throughout  the  book. 

PHILADELPHIA, 

EPIPHANY,  1911. 


CONTENTS 


INTRODUCTION 

PAGB 

General  Statement JI 

The  Term  "Innere  Mission" 12 

Wichern's  Definition  of  Inner  Mission 13 

The  New  Testament  Basis  of  Inner  Mission 22 


PART  FIRST 
I.    PRELIMINARY  HISTORY  OF  THE  INNER  MISSION 

A.  IN  THE  EARLY  CHURCH 33 

First  Three  Centuries 33 

A.  D.  300  to  600 41 

B.  IN  THE  MEDIEVAL  CHURCH 44 

A.  D.  600  to  1500 44 

C.  IN  THE  REFORMATION  ERA  AND  BEYOND 47 

II.    THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 

A.  ITS  IMMEDIATE  ANTECEDENTS 54 

Urlsperger,  Spittler,  Kiessling,  Pestalozzi,  C.  H.  Zeller, 
Oberlin,  Falk,  von  der  Recke-Volmarstein,  von  Kottwitz, 
and  Amalie  Sieveking  in  Germany;  John  Howard  and  Eliza- 
beth Fry  in  England;  Thomas  Chalmers  and  David  Nasmith 
in  Scotland;  Hauge  in  Norway. 

B.  ITS  SYSTEMATIC  DEVELOPMENT 64 

Wichern,  Fliedner,  Lohe,  Mez,  Kobelt,  von  Bodelschwingh, 
Stocker,  Uhlhorn,  Schafer,  and  others  in  Germany;  Knudsen 
in  Norway;  Guthrie  in  Scotland;  Barnardo  in  England;  Passa- 
vant  and  W.  A.  Muhlenberg  in  America. 

3 


4  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

C.  ITS  ORGANS 85 

1.  The  Diaconate 86 

a.  The  Modern  Male  Diaconate 91 

b.  The  Modern  Female  Diaconate 93 

2.  Associations 99 

3.  Institutions 102 

4.  Official  Representatives 103 

5.  Volunteer  Helpers 104 

6.  Material  Support 105 


PART  SECOND 

FORMS   OF   INNER   MISSION   ACTIVITY 

I.  THE  PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL 108 

a.  Evangelization 108 

b.  City  Missions 116 

c.  The  Dissemination  of  the  Scriptures 125 

d.  The  Circulation  of  Christian  Literature 127 

e.  People's  Libraries ; .  129 

f.  Music  and  Art 131 

II.  THE  CARE  AND  TRAINING  OF  CHILDREN 133 

a.  Day  Nurseries 134 

b.  Little  Children's  Schools 136 

c.  Sunday  Schools 139 

d.  Shelters  and  Industrial  Schools  for  Poor  Children 143 

e.  The  Care  and  Training  of  Dependent  Children 144 

III.  THE  TRAINING  AND  PRESERVATION  OF  YOUNG  PEOPLE 150 

a.  Schools  for  the  Training  of  Domestics 150 

b.  Shelters  for  Domestics 152 

c.  Young  Men's  Societies 153 

d.  Young  Women's  Societies 155 


CONTENTS  5 

PAGE 

IV.  THE  PROTECTION  OF  THE  IMPERILED 156 

a.  Diaspora  Missions 156 

b.  Emigrant  Missions 157 

c.  Seamen's  Missions 158 

d.  Christian  Inns  for  Men 161 

e.  Hospices 163 

f.  Some  Other  Forms  of  Protective  Work 164 


V.  THE  SAVING  OF  THE  LOST 167 

a.  Rescue  Homes  for  the  Young 167 

b.  Warfare  Against  Immorality:  Magdalen  Homes 171 

c.  Warfare  Against  Intemperance:  Asylums  for  Inebriates 177 

d.  Care  of  Convicts  and  Discharged  Prisoners 183 


VI.  THE  CARE  OF  THE  SICK  AND  THE  DEFECTIVE 192 

a.  Hospital  Care  of  the  Sick 192 

b.  Institutions  for  Physical  and  Mental  Defectives 194 

1.  Deaf-mutes 195 

2.  The  Blind 195 

3.  The  Crippled 196 

4.  The  Epileptic 197 

5.  The  Idiotic  and  Insane 199 

6.  The  Enfeebled  and  Convalescent 202 

7.  Invalid  Children 203 

c.  Homes  for  the  Aged  and  Infirm 203 

VII.  THE  CONFLICT  WITH  SOCIAL  ILLS 204 

a.  The  Relief  of  Parish  Needs 207 

b.  The  Care  of  the  Poor 211 

c.  Labor  Colonies  and  Relief  Stations 216 

d.  The  Relief  of  Needs  Occasioned  by  War  and  Pestilence 221 


6  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

e.  Miscellaneous 222 

1.  Evangelical  Workingmen's  Societies 222 

2.  Efforts  for  the  Improvement  of  Housing  Conditions  ....  222 

3.  The  Promotion  of  Sunday  Rest  and  Observance 223 

4.  The  Encouragement  of  Thrift 223 

f.  Settlements 224 

CONCLUSION 228 


APPENDIX  A 
I.  Statistics  of  the  Deaconess  Motherhouses  Comprised  in  the 

Kaiserswerth  Union 231 

II.  Fields  of  Deaconess  Labor 235 

III.  German  Diakonenkauser 236 


APPENDIX  B 

LUTHERAN   INNER  MISSION   INSTITUTIONS   IN   THE 
UNITED   STATES 

I.  Deaconess  Motherhouses 237 

II.  Orphans'  Homes 238 

III.  Home  Finding  Societies 239 

IV.  Old  People's  Homes 239 

V.  Hospitals 240 

VI.  Institutions  for  Defectives 241 

VII.  Immigrant  and  Seamen's  Missions 242 

VIII.  Hospices 242 

IX.  Miscellaneous 242 

X.  Inner  Mission  Societies  and  City  Missions 243 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 244 

INDEX 247 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

WICHERN Frontispiece 

KAISERSWERTH  INSTITUTIONS 71 

FLIEDNER  —  LOSE — VON  BODELSCHWINGH — KOBELT — STOCKER — 

UHLHORN — SCHAFER 76 

PASSAVANT 84 

RAUHES  HAUS  AT  HAMBURG 91 

FRANCKE  ORPHANAGE  AT  HALLE 91 

MARY  J.  DREXEL  HOME,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA 94 

INSTITUTIONS  AT  MILWAUKEE,  Wis 98 

DEACONESS  MOTHERHOUSE,  BALTIMORE,  MD 103 

DEACONESS  HOSPITAL  AT  JERUSALEM 106 

SWEDISH  INSTITUTIONS  AT  ST.  PAUL,  MINN 106 

BERLIN  CITY  MISSION  (CHURCH) 116 

BERLIN  CITY  MISSION  (HOSPICE,  BUILDINGS) 121 

WARTBURG  ORPHANS'  FARM  SCHOOL,  MT.  VERNON,  N.  Y 133 

ST.  JOHN'S  ORPHANS'  HOME,  SULPHUR  SPRINGS,  N.  Y 138 

ORPHANS'  HOME,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA 144 

GERMAN  SEAMEN'S  HOMES 157 

IMMIGRANT  HOUSE,  NEW  YORK  CITY,  N.  Y 160 

SEAMEN'S  HOME,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA 160 

SEAMEN'S  HOME,  HOBOKEN,  N.  J 160 

LUTHER  HOSPICE,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA 164 

HOSPICE  FOR  YOUNG  WOMEN,  MINNEAPOLIS,  MINN 164 

7 


8  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGB 

HOSPICES:  FRANKFORT,  DRESDEN ^4 

PASSAVANT  HOSPITAL,  PITTSBURG,  PA 192 

COLONY  OF  MERCY,  BIELEFELD I97 

INSTITUTION  FOR  CRIPPLES  AT  CRACAU 197 

KENSINGTON  DISPENSARY,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA 200 

PASSAVANT  HOMES  FOR  EPILEPTICS,  ROCHESTER,  PA 200 

ASYLUM  FOR  AGED  AND  INFIRM,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA 204 

CHURCH  HOME  FOR  AGED  AND  INFIRM,  BUFFALO,  N.  Y 209 

AUGUSTANA  HOSPITAL,  CHICAGO,  ILL 214 

NORWEGIAN  HOSPITAL,  MINNEAPOLIS,  MINN 222 


THE   INNER  MISSION 


I  send  thee,  to  open  their  eyes,  and  to  turn  them  from  darkness  to 
light,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God,  that  they  may  receive 
forgiveness  of  sins,  and  inheritance  among  them  that  are  sanctified 
by  faith  that  is  in  Me.-Acts  26  : 17,  18. 


OTnrk 

I  was  an  hungred,  and  ye  gave  Me  meat:  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye 
gave  Me  drink :  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  Me  in  :  naked,  and  ye 
clothed  Me:  I  was  sick,  and  ye  visited  Me:  I  was  in  prison,  and  ye 
came  unto  Me.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it 
unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  My  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  Me. 
-Matth.  25  :  35,  36,  40. 


THE    INNER    MISSION 


INTRODUCTION 

General  Statement 

WHEN  Wichern,  on  the  afternoon  of  September  22,  1848, 
delivered  his  famous  address  at  the  Wittenberg  Kirchentag, 
he  sounded  a  trumpet  call  that  aroused  all  Protestant 
Germany.  For  almost  two  decades  he  had  been  favored 
with  extraordinary  opportunities  for  observing  the  spiritual, 
moral ,  and  physical  wretchedness  of  large  masses  of  the 
people;  he  had  made  a  careful  study  of  the  causes  which  led 
to  their  degradation;  he  had  clearly  discerned  through  whom 
and  by  what  means  and  methods  the  required  relief  must 
be  brought  about;  and  now,  filled  with  warmest  love  to  his 
Lord  and  to  suffering  humanity,  and  with  a  glowing  zeal  for 
service,  he  called  upon  the  entire  Protestant  Church  of 
Germany  to  make  the  work  of  the  Inner  Mission,  which  so 
far  had  been  only  sporadic,  a  part  of  her  own  life  and  being, 
and  thus  to  demonstrate  her  faith  by  her  love.  That  hour 
marked  the  beginning  of  the  Inner  Mission  as  a  general  and 
systematized  movement.  As  the  immediate  result  of  the 
impulse  given  by  Wichern,  the  Central  Committee  for  the 
Inner  Mission  of  the  German  Evangelical  Church  was  or- 
ganized at  Berlin,  January  4,  1849,  to  De  followed  since  then 
by  many  similar  associations,  provincial  and  local,  in  all 
parts  of  Germany,  in  the  Scandinavian  countries,  and  now 
even  in  America. 

In  his  classical  document,  known  as  the  Denkschrift,  pre- 
pared at  the  request  of  the  Central  Committee,  and  dated 
April  21,  1849,  Wichern  outlined  the  Program  of  the  Inner 

11 


12  THE   INNER   MISSION 

Mission.  It  was  to  prevent,  if  possible,  the  dechristianiza- 
tion  of  Germany;  to  combat  the  growing  indifference  and  un- 
belief among  all  classes  and  conditions  alike;  by  a  more  ex- 
tensive preaching  and  diffusion  of  the  Gospel,  and  by  the 
ministrations  of  Christian  love  and  mercy,  to  aid  the  Family, 
the  Church,  and  the  State  in  the  removal  of  existing  evils; 
and,  by  virtue  of  the  principle  of  the  universal  priesthood  of 
believers,  to  enlist  and  utilize  in  this  work  the  living  and  active 
members  of  the  Church  without  interfering  at  any  point 
with  the  prerogatives  of  the  Family,  the  Church,  or  the 
State,  where  these  faithfully  performed  their  God-given 
duties. 

As  regards  the  practical  life  of  the  Church  the  Denk- 
schrift  was  the  most  significant  document  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  It,  indeed,  contemplated  nothing  new,  but  it 
asked  in  incisive  tones  for  the  restoration  and  application 
to  existing  conditions  of  principles  and  methods  as  old  as 
Christianity  itself.  Hence  those  engaged  in  the  Inner  Mis- 
sion cause  must  ever  continue  to  go  to  it  for  instruction  and 
inspiration  if  they  would  guard  their  work  against  degenerat- 
ing into  mere  humanitarianism  on  the  one  hand  or  a  senti- 
mental evangelism  on  the  other. 

The  Term  " Inner e  Mission" 

The  term  Innere  Mission  was  first  publicly  used  by  Pro- 
fessor Fr.  Lucke  of  Gottingen  in  an  address  at  a  mission 
conference  on  the  i3th  of  November,  1842.  But  about  the 
same  time,  and  altogether  independently,  Wichern  was 
also  employing  it  in  connection  with  his  work  at  the  Rauhe 
Haus,  Hamburg,  begun  in  1833.  At  the  Stuttgart  Inner 
Mission  Congress  in  1857  he  said:  "  In  upholding  the  right 
to  do  mission  work  within  Christendom  as  distinguished 
from  similar  work  outside  of  it,  the  term  Innere  Mission 
was  coined,  and  was  current  in  the  life  and  vocabulary  of  the 
Rauhe  Haus  before  anyone  else  had  used  it";1  and  in  the 

1  Gesammelte  Schriften,     Vol.  iii,  p.  964. 


INTRODUCTION  13 

first  report  of  his  Training  School  (Diakonenhaus)  in  1843 
he  called  said  institution  a  "  Seminary  for  the  Inner  Mission 
among  German  Protestants."  Thus  the  term  originated 
almost  simultaneously  in  two  places. 

In  more  recent  times  other  names  have  been  proposed. 
Thus  Uhlhorn1  and  Lehmann2  treat  of  the  work  of  the  Inner 
Mission  under  the  designation  Christliche  Liebesthatigkeit 
(i.  e.,  Christian  Charity).  Others  have  suggested  the  term 
Diakonie.3  But  neither  of  these  terms  fully  covers  the  work 
and  purpose  of  the  Inner  Mission.  There  are  other  works 
of  Christian  mercy  that  have  no  connection  whatever  with 
the  Inner  Mission  as  an  organized  movement,  e.  g.,  the  work 
of  foreign  missions  and  private  charity.  Moreover,  in 
limiting  the  scope  of  the  Inner  Mission  chiefly  to  the  works 
of  Christian  mercy  among  the  poor  and  sick  and  needy  in 
general,  its  character  and  purpose  as  a  Gospel  missionary 
force  among  all  classes  is  almost  entirely  overlooked. 

Wichern's  Definition  of  Inner  Mission 

As  the  Inner  Mission  in  the  form  in  which  Wichern  con- 
ceived of  it  had  been  antedated  by  various  private  and  in- 
dividual efforts  of  like  nature,  none  of  which  entered  into 
the  life  of  the  Church  and  of  society  as  a  whole,  he  defined 
it  as  "  the  collective  and  not  isolated  labor  of  love  which 
springs  from  faith  in  Christ,  and  which  seeks  to  bring  about 
the  internal  and  external  renewal  of  the  masses  within 
Christendom  who  have  fallen  under  the  dominion  of  those 
evils  which  result  directly  and  indirectly  from  sin,  and  who 
are  not  reached,  as  for  their  spiritual  renewal  they  ought 
to  be,  by  the  established  official  organs  of  the  Church.  It 
does  not  overlook  any  external  or  internal  need,  the  relief  of 
which  can  be  made  an  object  of  Christian  love.  It  recog- 
nizes the  Christ-bought  and  indestructible  unity  of  life  in 

lDie  Christliche  Liebesthatigkeit,  Stuttgart,  1882-90.     Vol.  iii. 

2  Die  Werke  der  Liebe,  Leipzig,  1883. 

3 Thus  WARNECK:  Evang.  Missionslehre,  Gotha,  1892.     Part  I,  p.  4. 


14  THE  INNER  MISSION 

State  and  Church,  in  the  nation  and  family,  in  all  the  ranks 
of  Christian  society,  and  lays  hold  of  it  with  its  saving  powers. 
And  amid  the  extraordinary  and  distorted  conditions  of  the 
present,  before  which  those  in  authority  are  impotent  and 
the  Church  is  silent,  it  distinguishes  the  voice  of  the  people 
as  these  ask  for  its  saving  work,  and  hopes  that  by  divine  aid 
society  may  be  so  benefited  that  Church  and  State  may  come 
to  newness  of  life — an  aim  that  will  set  a  bound  to  its  own 
labors."1  Eight  years  later  Wichern  made  substantially 
the  same  statement  when,  in  a  series  of  theses  at  the  second 
Stuttgart  Inner  Mission  Congress,  he  said:  "  The  Inner 
Mission  is  the  unfolding  and  active  exercise  of  the  faith  and 
vital  powers  of  the  entire  body  of  believers  in  the  Church, 
in  the  State,  and  in  all  forms  of  social  life,  for  the  conquest 
of  everything  unchristian  and  antichristian  that  seeks  or 
has  found  a  place  in  the  home  or  community,  in  usages 
and  laws,  in  science  and  art,  in  all  the  departments  of  the 
material  and  spiritual  life  of  the  masses  and  of  the  nations 
within  Christendom."2  Quite  in  harmony  with  these 
declarations  the  Statutes  of  the  Central  Committee  declare 
the  purpose  of  the  Inner  Mission  to  be  "  the  relief  of  the 
spiritual  and  physical  needs  of  our  evangelical  people  by 
means  of  the  preached  Word  and  the  ministrations  of  Chris- 
tian love." 3 

An  analysis  of  these  several  statements  will  yield  the  fol- 
lowing result: 

1  Gesammelte  Schriften.     Vol.  iii,  p.  268  ff. 

2  Ibid.     Vol.  iii,  p.  943.     Thesis  9. 

3  Other  definitions :  SCHAFER  :   "  The  Inner  Mission  is  that  ecclesiastical 
reformatory  movement  of    the    nineteenth  century  which  seeks  to  improve 
the  internal  condition  of  the  Church  (i.  e.,  of  the  organized,  visible  Church) 
by  permanently  incorporating  into  it  and  making  effective  within  it  both  the 
free  proclamation  of  the  Gospel  and  the  works  of  mercy." — Leitfaden  der 
Inneren  Mission,  4th  ed.  p.  3.     WURSTER:  "In  so  far  as  it  represents  the 
systematic  efforts  of  living  evangelical  Christendom,  the  Inner  Mission  of 
the  last  hundred  years  is  that  reform  movement  within. the  Church  which  seeks 
to  relieve  those  ethico-religious  needs  of  society  and  of  evangelical  communities 
for  the  amelioration  of  which  the  Family,  the  Church,  and  the  State,  as  ordained 
factors,  no  longer  sufficed;  but  with  the  express  purpose  of  leading  those  won 
by  it  into  the  Church,  and  through  all  its  efforts  to  make  the  existing  Church 
in  the  truest  sense  a  Church  of  the  people." — Die  Lehre  von  der  Inneren 
Mission,   1895,  p.  127. 


INTRODUCTION  1 5 

i.  The  Inner  Mission  seeks  to  serve  the  entire  mass  of 
society,  and  not  merely  a  class.  It  is  a  mistake  to  assume 
that  it  addresses  itself  only  to  the  lowest  and  most  degraded 
elements,  somewhat  after  the  fashion  of  the  Salvation  Army. 
It  recognizes  the  fact  that  great  evils  affect  society  in  gen- 
eral— that  greed,  extravagance,  covetousness,  dishonesty, 
oppression,  licentiousness,  discontent,  lack  of  conscience, 
indifference  to  things  spiritual,  and  a  host  of  other  wrongs, 
with  all  their  direful  consequences,  are  to  a  greater  or  less 
extent  found  among  all  classes  and  conditions;  that  even 
among  the  educated  and  well-to-do,  as  among  those  far 
beneath  them,  there  are  also  many  who,  yielding  to  the 
seductions  of  wealth,  the  spirit  of  the  times,  and  those  forces 
by  which  Christian  principles  and  practice  are  undermined, 
have  had  their  hearts  alienated  from  the  Gospel  of  Christ 
and  the  things  of  the  kingdom  of  God.1  Hence,  as  these  evils 
are  not  confined  to  a  particular  class,  the  Inner  Mission  aims 
at  the  renewal  of  society  as  a  whole  by  influencing  at  every 
possible  point  the  units  which  compose  it.  In  every  such 
unit  it  sees  sin  as  the  root  from  which  all  social  evil  springs; 
and  as  social  improvement  cannot  take  place  without  moral 
renovation,  the  Inner  Mission,  when  rightly  directed,  bends 
all  its  energies  toward  reaching  and  changing  the  fountain 
of  evil — the  natural,  sinful  human  heart.  Endeavoring 
thus  to  purify  the  polluted  stream  at  its  very  source,  it  be- 
comes a  force  "  for  the  conquest  of  everything  unchristian 
and  antichristian  that  seeks  or  has  found  a  place  in  the  home 
or  community,  in  usages  and  laws,  in  science  and  art,  in  all 
the  departments  of  the  material  and  spiritual  life  of  the  masses 
and  of  the  nations  within  Christendom." 

To  the  Family  the  Inner  Mission  extends  its  aid  in  the  care 
and  instruction  of  children  not  otherwise  provided  for: 
in  the  maintenance  of  servants'  training-schools  and  homes, 
and  of  homes  for  working  women,  of  Christian  inns  and 

1  "  In  defining  the  sphere  of  the  Inner  Mission  it  is  a  great  mistake  to  assume 
that  it  has  in  view  only  the  saving  of  the  poor  and  illiterate:  the  rich  and 
richest  and  most  cultured  equally  need  this." — WICHERN:  Gesammelle 
Schriften.  Vol.  iii,  p.  237. 


l6  THE  INNER  MISSION 

hospices,  young  people's  societies,  and  like  preventive  means 
for  those  imperiled  by  their  surroundings;  and  in  conducting 
Magdalen  homes  for  the  rescue  of  fallen  women,  homes  for 
the  reformation  of  inebriates,  and  labor  colonies  for  the 
unemployed.  It  aids  the  Church  in  the  work  of  diaspora, 
seamen's  and  city  missions,  in  parish  work  among  the  sick 
and  poor,  in  the  dissemination  of  the  printed  Word,  in  the 
circulation  of  Christian  literature,  in  seeking  to  bring  about 
a  better  observance  of  the  Lord's  Day,  and  in  other  like 
efforts.  It  comes  to  the  assistance  of  the  State  in  the  Chris- 
tian care  of  prisoners  and  discharged  convicts,  of  dependent, 
defective,  and  delinquent  children,  of  the  sick  and  poor, 
and  of  the  needy  in  times  of  war  and  pestilence.  Many 
of  these  it  takes  into  its  own  institutions,  thus  relieving 
the  State  of  their  care;  while  in  other  instances  it  supplies 
the  trained  helpers  in  State  institutions.  Furthermore  the 
Inner  Mission  takes  note  of  such  questions  as  the  better 
housing  of  the  poor,  and  the  encouragement  of  thrift  among 
these;  and  in  the  proper  solution  of  social  problems  in  general, 
it  seeks  to  co-operate  with  the  State. 

2.  The  methods  of  the  Inner  Mission  are,  however,  not  those 
of  the  State.  While  in  its  combat  with  the  grossest  forms 
of  evil  it  may,  indeed,  now  and  then  find  it  necessary  to 
invoke  the  strong  arm  of  the  law;  nevertheless,  as  sin  is  in 
every  case  the  prime  evil  to  be  eradicated,  it  does  not  hope  to 
effect  a  radical  cure  by  means  of  legislative  enactments, 
but  through  the  Gospel.  In  this  alone  it  sees  the  power — 
God's  power— by  which  nations  as  well  as  individuals  are 
brought  to  newness  of  life.  Upon  this  alone  it  relies  to 
renew,  purify,  and  strengthen  the  spiritual  man.  It  is  the 
one  great  means  above  every  other  that  it  uses  to  shape  the 
character  of  the  young,  to  serve  as  a  protection  to  the  tempted 
and  imperiled,  to  lift  up  the  fallen,  to  bring  real  comfort  and 
cheer  to  the  sick  and  suffering,  and  as  the  source  from  which 
all  may  obtain  the  true  riches — the  means  under  the  in- 
fluence of  which  it  would  have  all  social,  civic,  and  business 
relations  adjusted  and  regulated,  and  have  the  second  great 


INTRODUCTION  17 

commandment  come  to  its  own:  "  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neigh- 
bor as  thyself." 

3.  Hence  the  Inner  Mission  is.  above  all,  to  be  regarded  as 
a  missionary  force,  whose  ultimate  purpose  it  is  to  reach  all 
to  whom  it  ministers  with  the  saving  Gospel.    The  concep- 
tion which  limits  it  to  the  works  of  Christian  mercy  is  alto- 
gether too  narrow.     Nevertheless  it  makes  a  most  extensive 
use  of  these,  but  always  in  the  service  of  the  Gospel;  and  it  is 
this  combination  of  a  large  benevolent  activity  with  the 
communication  of  the  Word  that  differentiates  it  from  the 
work  of  home  missions  in  our  American  sense.1 

4.  It  must  now  be  apparent  that  Inner  Mission  work  is 
far  above  mere  humanitarian  and  philanthropic  effort.    The 
latter  is,  indeed,  not  to  be  despised  so  far  as  it  goes;  but  it 
does  not  go  far  enough.    It  is  a  mistake,  therefore,  to  confuse 
what  is  in  these  days  called  Sociology  with  Inner  Mission. 
The  two  do  not  agree  either  in  their  diagnosis  of  the  funda- 
mental cause  of  all  the  evils  which  they  seek  to  combat,  or 
as  regards  the  remedy  to  be  applied.     The  terms  "  sin  " 
and  "  Gospel  "  are  hardly  known  in  the  vocabulary  of  the 
sociologist,  and  he  may  moreover  be  Christian,  Jew,  or 
agnostic.     Hence  the  character  of  his  work  is  largely  con- 
ditioned by  his  view-point.     In  most  cases  he  would  bring 
about  a  new  mode  of  thought  and  life  by  simply  changing 
the  environment,  which,  however  important  as  an  adjunct, 
does  not  go  to  the  root  of  the  trouble;  or  he  may  even  attempt 
to  eradicate  great  moral  defects  and  vicious  propensities, 
which  our  Lord  says  "  proceed  out  of  the  heart,"  by  means 
of  a  surgical  operation !     But  all  such  efforts  are  only  ex- 
ternal.   This  is  not  the  way  of  the  Inner  Mission.     "  If 
we  would  alleviate  external  distress,"  says  a  German  writer, 
"  we  must,  above  all  things,  relieve  the  internal  necessity. 
Moral  ruin  is  as  much  the  premise  as  the  result  of  external 
decay.    It  is  just  the  appreciation  of  the  mutual  influence 
of  these  two  sides,  the  aiming  at  the  removal  of  both  the 
inward  and  the  outward  poverty,  which  are  so  emphatically 

1  For  the  further  elaboration  of  this  phase  of  the  subject  see  pp.  22-32. 


1 8  THE  INNER  MISSIQN 

insisted  on  in  the  so-called  Inner  Mission.  Such  an  institu- 
tion is  both  the  offspring  and  the  need  of  our  times.  And 
what  has  it  not  already  effected?  Its  field  of  operation  is 
truly  an  extensive  one.  Here  we  behold  asylums  in  which 
children  are  sheltered  from  destitution,  there  houses  of 
refuge  in  which  men  are  helped  out  of  moral  ruin;  here  homes 
in  which  travellers  are  preserved  from  temptation,  there 
institutions  which  offer  a  dwelling  to  female  servants;  here 
the  navvies  on  our  railroads  are  sought  out  that  they  may  not 
be  destitute  of  the  Word  of  God,  there  the  emigrants  are 
visited  that  they  may  take  the  Gospel  away  with  them; 
here  every  energy  is  devoted  to  the  oversight  of  prisoners, 
there  to  the  care  of  the  sick  and  wounded,  and  to  many  like 
purposes.  And  the  soul  of  all  this  is  that  compassionate 
love  which  seeks  the  lost.  This  and  nothing  else  rules  in 
every  institution  really  belonging  to  the  Inner  Mission,  all 
objections  to  which  come  to  naught  in  the  presence  of  its 
blessed  results.  And  these  all  accrue  to  the  profit  of  the 
Church." 1 

5.  Another  characteristic  of  the  Inner  Mission  is  that  in 
its  operations  it  seeks  to  enlist  the  entire  body  of  believers, 
in  closest  touch  with  the  Church's  ministry  and  means  of 
grace.  In  defining  more  fully  the  ninth  thesis  at  the  sec- 
ond Stuttgart  Congress  (p.  14)  Wichern  said:  "When  we 
speak  of  the  universal  priesthood  of  believers  we  have  in 
mind  the  privilege  which  all  such  have  of  direct  access  to  the 
Father,  through  Christ,  and  in  Christ's  name  at  all  times  to 
worship  and  serve  God,  thus  bringing  Him  their  life  and 
entire  person  as  a  sacrifice.  But  the  offering  of  such  a  sacri- 
fice, as  an  act  of  faith  in  the  Son  of  God,  transforms  the 
believer  into  a  fountain  of  blessing,  in  whom  is  fulfilled  the 
gracious  promise  that  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of 
living  water.  The  congregation  of  believers  thus  becomes 
a  blessing-dispensing  congregation  of  priests,  a  royal  people 
of  God,  in  which  each  one  who  has  received  the  witness  of 
God,  himself  becomes  a  witness  of  the  life  that  God  gives, 
»  BRUCKNER:  The  Church,  Edinburgh,  1867,  pp.  250,  251. 


INTRODUCTION  1 9 

and  in  the  power  of  that  life  feels  impelled  to  show  forth  the 
praises  of  Him  who  hath  called  him  out  of  darkness  into  His 
marvelous  light.  As  such  the  priesthood  of  believers  con- 
secrates itself  to  missionary  labors,  including  those  of  the 
Inner  Mission.  Whether  it  be  the  housefather  in  his  family, 
the  artist  or  scientist  engaged  in  his  studies,  the  government 
official,  the  soldier  or  tradesman,  man  or  woman — each  in 
his  or  her  calling  and  position,  however  diverse,  will  labor 
for  the  extension  of  God's  kingdom,  that  it  may  come  not 
only  to  them,  but  also  to  those  who  are  not  yet  in  it."1 
And  that  those  already  of  the  Church  might  learn  thus  to 
view  their  duties  and  responsibilities,  he  said  on  another 
occasion:  "  It  often  happens  in  societies  that  there  is  such 
unceasing  wrangling  over  rules  and  regulations  that  all 
desire  for  and  pleasure  in  the  service  of  the  Lord  is  destroyed. 
But  let  it  not  be  forgotten  that  the  preaching  of  the  Divine 
Word  is  the  prime  requisite  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
Church's  life.  Above  all  must  the  doctrine  of  the  univer- 
sal priesthood  of  believers  be  emphasized,  so  that  each 
one  may  come  to  realize  that  it  is  his  duty  to  labor  for  his 
Master  and  his  Master's  kingdom  wherever  God  has  placed 
him  and  given  him  the  opportunity."2  It  was  a  living 
Church  that  Wichern  had  in  mind,  not  a  Church  galvanized 
into  the  appearance  of  life  by  sensational,  sectarian,  or 
mechanical  and  artificial  methods,  but  a  Church  made 
genuinely  living  by  the  living  Word  of  God,  preached  in 
demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power.  And  if  we  of 
to-day  would  successfully  cope  with  the  needs  which  Inner 
Mission  seeks  to  relieve,  let  us  not  forget  whence  the  Church 
must  derive  her  life. 

As  the  Church  in  Germany  is  closely  affiliated  with  the  State, 
the  Inner  Mission  movement  is  independent  of  the  Church's 
control,  and  yet  the  Church's  most  efficient  helping  hand.  It 
does  not  take  the  place  of  the  Church,  but  seeks  to  bring  into 
unity  of  purpose  and  action  the  Church's  living  members.  It 

1  Gesammelte  Schriften.     Vol.  iii,  pp.  957,  958. 

2  Ibid.    Vol.  iii,  pp.  584,  585. 


20  THE  INNER  MISSION 

recognizes  the  constituted  Church  authorities  and  is  recognized 
by  them.  Its  methods  have  been  largely  adopted  by  the  State 
Churches;  its  trained  helpers  are  employed  by  them;  official 
representatives  of  the  State  Churches  appear  at  its  congresses; 
professors  of  Practical  Theology  lecture  on  the  subject; 
special  short  courses  of  instruction  are  held  in  populous 
centers;  and  thus  the  work  of  the  State  Churches  and  that 
of  the  Inner  Mission  have  in  many  instances  become  practi- 
cally one  and  the  same. 

The  Inner  Mission  movement  was  at  first  opposed  in 
Germany,  chiefly  from  two  sides — the  rationalistic  (Darm- 
stadter  Allgemeine  Kirchenzeitung,  Diesterweg,  etc.)  and 
by  individual  members  of  the  strictly  confessional  side 
(Claus  Harms,  Petri,  Lindner,  Lohe).  The  latter  contended: 
i.  That  the  free  associations  (Inner  Mission  societies)  by 
and  through  which  the  work  was  carried  on  were  not  of  the 
Church,  nor  in  the  Church  (in  her  organized  capacity), 
but  alongside  of  the  Church,  and  therefore  a  menace  to 
churchly  life  and  order.  2.  That  the  movement  was  in 
conflict  with  the  teachings  of  the  New  Testament  regarding 
the  Church  and  her  ministry.  3.  That  a  movement  which 
was  not  in  every  one  of  its  details  directed  by  the  established 
ecclesiastical  authorities  was  in  constant  danger  of  degener- 
ating into  sectarianism.  Nevertheless  it  was  most  heartily 
welcomed  and  met  with  some  of  its  earliest  and  most  pro- 
nounced successes  in  regions  whose  Lutheranism  was  of  the 
strictest  type  (Mecklenburg,  Bavaria);  and,  as  experience 
by  degrees  demonstrated  that  the  movement  was  neither 
antagonistic,  separatistic,  nor  sectarian,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
most  helpful  in  reaching  those  in  soul  and  body  whom  the 
organized  Church  for  lack  of  a  proper  agency  had  failed  to 
reach,  it  began  to  enlist  the  active  interest  and  co-operation 
of  an  ever-increasing  number  of  pastors,  opposition  practi- 
cally ceased,  and  Petri  and  Lohe  themselves  became  cham- 
pions of  the  cause,  the  one  by  taking  an  active  part  in  organiz- 
ing the  Inner  Mission  Society  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 


INTRODUCTION  21 

Church  of  Hanover,  the  other  by  establishing  a  similar 
society  in  Bavaria. 

The  following  observations  by  Schafer  will  now  serve  to 
give  a  somewhat  comprehensive  answer  to  the  question: 
"  What  is  the  Inner  Mission?" 1 

"  The  Inner  Mission  is  a  product  of  that  faith  which 
worketh  by  love.  Whatever  is  not  undertaken  in  this  spirit 
is  not  Inner  Mission. 

"  The  Inner  Mission  is  an  extra-official  activity.  It  does 
not  emanate  from  any  professional  obligation  imposed  by 
the  Family,  the  Church,  or  the  State,  but  solely  from  a 
heart  actuated  by  the  love  of  Christ. 

"  The  Inner  Mission  does  its  work  within  the  pale  of  the 
Church.  Those  not  of  the  Church,  e.  g.,  the  Jews  and  the 
heathen,  are  not  Inner  Mission  objects. 

"  The  tools  of  the  Inner  Mission  are  the  Word  and  the 
Work.  Very  often  these  are  found  in  closest  connection, 
the  latter  not  infrequently  predominating.  In  such  case 
the  labor  of  love  is  intended  to  pave  the  way  for  the  Word. 

"  Extraordinary  and  overwhelming  needs  brought  the 
Inner  Mission  into  existence,  and  must  still  require  its  labors. 

"  The  work  of  the  Inner  Mission  is  in  most  cases  voluntary, 
though  organized  as  in  the  institution  and  association." 

In  America  we  are  to-day  confronted  by  needs  quite  similar 
to  those  which  called  the  Inner  Mission  into  being  in  Germany. 
The  revolution  in  industry  and  commerce  since  the  Civil 
War;  the  extraordinary  increase  in  material  wealth;  the  greed 
that  characterizes  the  laboring  classes  equally  with  the  capi- 
talist; the  corrupt  practices  in  politics  and  business;  the 
congestion  of  population  in  the  cities;  the  excesses,  follies, 
and  sins  of  the  idle  rich  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  needs  of 
the  genuinely  poor  on  the  other;  the  perils  to  which  child- 
hood and  youth  are  often  exposed;  the  loose  views  on  the 
marriage  tie  and  the  sanctity  of  the  family;  the  disappear- 
ance of  the  home  with  its  ennobling  and  restraining  in- 
fluences wherever  wealth  makes  luxurious  hotel  life  and 

1  Die  Inner  e  Mission  in  der  S  chide,  p.  95. 


22  THE  INNER  MISSION 

migratory  habits  possible  or  poverty  compels  refuge  in  the 
overcrowded  and  unsanitary  tenement;  the  very  wide  dis- 
semination of  more  or  less  pernicious  literature;  the  growing 
indifference  of  large  numbers  towards  everything  spiritual; 
the  changes  in  modes  of  thought  and  belief  to  which  the  last 
two  or  three  decades  have  given  rise;  and  the  gradual  lower- 
ing of  ethical  standards  as  institutions  of  learning  and  pulpits 
have  departed  from  the  explicit  teachings  of  revelation — 
all  these  and  other  conditions  thrust  before  us  problems, 
social  and  religious,  of  so  grave  an  import  that  as  Christians, 
holding  fast  to  the  old  truths,  we  cannot  ignore  them  without 
proving  unfaithful  to  our  profession.  Nor  can  they  be  solved 
in  a  superficial  way.  As  all  evils  in  the  life  of  the  nation  and 
of  the  individual  have  their  root  in  sin,  neither  legislative 
enactments,  nor  hysterical  and  evanescent  evangelistic 
movements,  nor  anything  else  short  of  the  faithful,  persistent 
inculcation  of  the  inspired  Word  and  the  labor  of  Christian 
love  will  effectually  meet  the  case.  Regarding  both  much 
may  be  learned  from  the  Scriptural,  sober,  and  practical 
methods  of  the  Inner  Mission  of  Germany.  Nevertheless 
in  the  application  of  these  due  note  must  be  taken  of  our 
changed  conditions.  Here  we  have  not  only  those  to  deal 
with  who  as  members  of  the  Church  need  her  protection 
and  succor,  or  who,  having  lapsed  from  the  Church,  need 
to  be  reclaimed;  but  with  large  masses  besides  who  have 
never  had  even  the  most  remote  connection  with  the  Church. 
It  might  be  urged  indeed  that  to  reach  and  win  these  is  the 
legitimate  work  of  home  missions;  but  would  not  home  mis- 
sion work  prove  vastly  more  effective  if  carried  on  in  the 
spirit  and  according  to  the  principles  and  practice  of  the 
Inner  Mission  ? 


The  New  Testament  Basis  of  Inner  Mission 

A  careful  study  of  the  work  of  the  Inner  Mission  discloses 
the  following  characteristics:  It  is  both  preventive  and 
reformatory.  It  looks  for  the  causes  of  moral  and  physical 


INTRODUCTION  23 

ruin,  and  seeks  to  remove  these.  It  goes  after  the  lost  and 
makes  every  effort  to  save  them.  It  is  concerned  for  man's 
physical  and  intellectual  well-being  as  well  as  for  his  spiritual. 
It  believes,  that  next  to  the  preaching  of  the  Word  as  the 
supreme  redemptive  means,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  kingdom  of 
God  on  earth  to  alleviate  external  misery  and  to  provide 
those  agencies  that  make  for  nobler  manhood  and  woman- 
hood. It  therefore  suits  the  practice  to  the  preaching, 
gives  the  Gospel  a  concrete  form,  and  utilizes  every  point 
of  contact  that  presents  itself.  As  such  it  does  not  presume 
to  take  the  place  of  the  Family,  the  Church,  or  the  State 
when  these  do  what  belongs  to  them,  but  only  supplies  to 
the  best  of  its  ability  what  they  often  fail  to  do.  Its  impulse 
is  that  love  of  God  and  man  which  is  born  of  a  living  faith; 
and  all  its  purely  benevolent  deeds  have  for  their  ultimate 
purpose  the  preparation  of  the  soil  for  the  living  Word,  as 
the  renewing,  vitalizing,  and  strengthening  power  in  the  life 
both  of  the  individual  and  of  society. 

Hence,  without  regarding  Him  merely  in  the  light  of  a 
social  reformer,1  the  Inner  Mission  finds  the  warrant  for  its 

1  "  Christ  sees  in  every  man,  even  in  the  poorest  and  most  miserable,  a 
human  being  whose  privilege  it  is  to  become  a  member  of  the  kingdom  of 
God.  This  is  in  all  cases  attainable,  even  though  we  have  to  allow  that  it  is 
not  in  our  power  to  relieve  all  the  distress  and  misery  in  the  world;  for  misery 
and  distress  are  no  hindrance  to  any  man's  being  or  becoming  a  member  of 
the  kingdom  of  God.  It  is  a  truly  heathen  idea  to  say,  as  a  reason  for  desist- 
ing from  works  of  mercy:  '  All  this  is  of  no  use;  we  can  never  make  all  men 
happy.'  For  this  is  not  the  only  object  of  Christian  charity.  It  has  a  much 
higher  end  in  view,  and  all  that  is  done  in  the  way  of  removing  or  alleviating 
misery  and  distress  is  only  done  as  a  means  towards  this  higher  end,  the 
advancement  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  Accordingly,  it  is  a  fundamental  mis- 
conception of  the  work  of  Christ  and  Christianity  to  say,  speaking  from  the 
social  point  of  view,  that  the  work  of  Christ  has  failed,  and  that  Christianity 
has  not  succeeded  in  fulfilling  the  task  set  before  it,  since  there  is  at  the  present 
time  quite  as  much  distress  and  misery  in  the  world  as  before.  As  though 
Christ  had  wished  to  be  a  social  reformer;  when  what  He  really  did  was  to 
proclaim  that  in  comparison  with  the  highest  end  in  life,  social  position  is  a 
matter  of  absolute  unimportance,  and  to  appoint  to  human  life  an  object  attain- 
able by  every  one,  namely,  the  kingdom  of  God,  in  which  every  one  may  have 
a  share,  be  his  outward  position  what  it  may,  be  he  rich  or  poor,  high  or  low, 
freeman  or  slave.  It  was  not  to  take  away  poverty  that  Christ  appeared;  on 
the  contrary,  He  says:  'The  poor  always  ye  have  with  you'  (John  12  :  8). 
He  came  to  bring  the  poor  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  He  did  not  come  to  put 
an  end  to  all  the  distress  in  the  world;  on  the  contrary,  He  says  to  His  disciples: 
'In  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation'  (John  16  :  33).  He  came  to  comfort 
the  broken-hearted  and  sorrowing.  Not  social  reform,  but  the  founding  of 


24  THE  INNER  MISSION 

aims  and  methods  in  the  Words  and  Works  of  Jesus.1  He 
Himself  distinctly  announced  the  purpose  of  His  coming 
into  the  world  in  the  words:  "  The  Son  of  man  is  come  to 
seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost"  (Luke  19  :io).  To 
the  lost  He  therefore  turned  with  the  message  of  pardon 
through  His  obedience  and  sacrifice — the  Gospel  message 
that  "  God  so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten 
Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  should  not  perish,  but 
have  everlasting  life"  (John  3  :i6).  But  His  concern  for 
the  lost  went  beyond  their  purely  spiritual  needs.  Recog- 
nizing the  close  connection  between  sin  and  human  misery, 
their  temporal  and  physical  needs  also  appealed  to  Him. 
Hence  His  preaching  and  teaching  were  throughout  His 
ministry  accompanied  by  works  of  mercy  (Matt.  4 :  23 ; 
9  :  35;  Mark  i  :  39-42;  6  :  34  ff,  et  al.).  Nevertheless  His 
evident  purpose  in  so  closely  combining  the  Word  and  the 
Work  was  to  make  the  latter  serve  the  former,  but  in  various 
ways.  Sometimes  His  works  were  meant  simply  to  direct 
attention  to  His  person  and  doctrine,  that  is,  they  were  an 
appeal  to  the  mind.  Thus  after  the  stilling  of  the  tempest 
"  the  men  marvelled,  saying,  what  manner  of  man  is  this, 
that  even  the  winds  and  the  sea  obey  Him?"  (Matt.  8  :  27); 
after  the  healing  of  the  paralytic  "  the  multitude  marvelled, 
and  glorified  God,  which  had  given  such  power  into  men  " 
(Matt.  9:8);  and  again,  after  the  healing  of  a  dumb  man 
possessed  with  a  devil,  "  the  multitudes  marvelled,  saying, 
It  was  never  so  seen  in  Israel"  (Matt.  9  :  33). 2  In  addition 
to  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  Jesus  also  distinctly  points 

the  kingdom  of  God  was  His  life's  work.  And  he  did  found  that  kingdom 
which  is  in  Himself,  and  when  this  is  realized,  then  are  the  influences  which 
flow  from  Christ  and  play  upon  the  social  side  of  our  life  found  to  be  sancti- 
fying and  healing;  but  they  are  only  the  consequences  of  the  inner  change,  and 
hence  only  indirectly  experienced.  They  are  of  the  things  which  are  '  added 
unto'  those  who  seek  first  after  the  kingdom  of  God.  Hence  it  must  appear 
that  it  would  be  imputing  an  erroneous  motive  to  Christian  charity,  and 
adopting  a  wrong  standard  whereby  to  judge  of  its  history,  were  we  to  ask 
how  far  it  has  succeeded  in  doing  away  with  all  poverty,  and  in  making  all 
here  on  earth  outwardly  happy." — UHLHORN:  Christian  Charity  in  the  Ancient 
Church,  pp.  60-62. 

1  Cf.  SCHAFER:  Die  Inner e  Mission  in  der  Schide,  p.  132  ff. 

2  Cf.  Mark  i  :  27;  4  :  41;  7  :  37. 


INTRODUCTION  25 

to  His  works  as  the  other  mark  of  His  Messiahship,  when,  in 
answer  to  the  question  of  John,  "  Art  Thou  He  that  should 
come,  or  do  we  look  for  another?"  He  says  to  the  two 
disciples  of  John:  "Go  and  show  John  again  those  things 
which  ye  do  hear  and  see;  the  blind  receive  their  sight,  and 
the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed,  and  the  deaf  hear,  the 
dead  are  raised  up,  and  the  poor  have  the  Gospel  preached 
to  them"  (Matt,  n  :  4,  5).  Still  other  works  of  Jesus  had 
for  their  specific  purpose  either  the  manifestation  of  His  own 
glory,  or  the  manifestation  of  the  works  of  God  in  man,  that 
seeing,  men  might  believe.  Thus  the  very  first  miracle  per- 
formed by  Jesus  "  manifested  forth  His  glory,"  with  the  result 
that  "  His  disciples  believed  on  Him  "  (John  2  :  n);  the  man 
born  blind,  to  whom  Jesus  gave  sight,  confessed,  "  Lord,  I 
believe,"  and  " worshipped  Him"  (John  9  :  38);  and  of  the 
nobleman  whose  son  Jesus  had  healed  it  is  said:  "  And  him- 
self believed, and  his  whole  house"  (John  4  :  53). l  In  the 
Feeding  of  the  Five  Thousand  (Matt.  14:15-21;  Mark 
6  :  34-44;  Luke  9  : 12-17;  John  6  :  5-14)  and  the  Feeding 
of  the  Four  Thousand  (Matt.  15  :  32-39;  Mark  8  : 1-9). 
Jesus,  furthermore,  gave  ocular  demonstration  how  those 
who  first  seek  the  kingdom  of  God  shall  have  all  these  things 
added  unto  them  (Matt.  6:33).  Finally,  to  some  of  His 
benevolent  deeds,  like  the  healing  of  one  deaf  and  dumb 
(Mark  7 : 32-37)  and  of  the  blind  man  at  Bethsaida  (Mark 
8:  22-26),  Jesus  did  not  add  one  word  of  spiritual  instruc- 
tion, but  allowed  the  naked  labor  of  love  to  be  the  impressive 
sermon  to  those  who  witnessed  it. 

Jesus  Himself  expressed  the  ultimate  purpose  of  all  His 
works  of  mercy  when  He  said,  as  He  healed  the  man  who  was 
born  blind:  "  Neither  hath  this  man  sinned,  nor  his  parents: 
but  that  the  works  of  God  should  be  made  manifest  in  him  " 
(John  9:3).  These  works  were  to  be  the  proof  that  the 
kingdom  of  God  had  come  indeed,  that  He  was  now  present 
in  the  world  who  "  was  manifested,  that  He  might  destroy 
the  works  of  the  devil,"  and  that,  therefore,  men  ought  to 

iCf.  Luke  7  :i6;  18  143. 


26  THE  INNER  MISSION 

believe  in  Him  (Luke  11:20-22;  i  John  3:8;  John  10:37, 38). 
For  the  same  reason  those  who  were  sent  out  to  plant  the 
Church  were  commissioned  not  only  to  preach  the  Gospel, 
but  to  show  by  works  of  mercy  that  the  kingdom  of  God 
was  come  nigh  (Mark  3  : 14,  15;  6  : 12,  13;  Luke  9:2,  6; 
10  :  i,  9,  10,  n).  Thus  it  came  that  the  service  of  love  and 
mercy,  in  demonstration  of  the  Gospel's  power,  was  the  spe- 
cial characteristic  of  the  first  Christians,  and  a  most  power- 
ful factor  in  the  conquest  of  the  heathen  world.1  And  in  all 
this  the  Church  of  to-day  must  see  what  it  behooves  her  to 
do,  as  the  institution,  divinely  ordained,  to  mediate  the 
coming  of  the  kingdom  of  God.2 

Among  the  Lord's  parables  that  have  a  very  direct  bearing 
on  our  subject  are  those  of  the  Good  Samaritan  (Luke  10: 
30-37),  the  Lost  Sheep  (Luke  15  : 3-7),  and  the  Lost  Coin 
(Luke  15  :  8-10).  The  first  of  these  teaches  that  every  son 
and  daughter  of  Adam,  as  a  member  of  the  great  human 

1  "  The  Church,  born  of  love,  and  living  in  love,  was  the  appropriate  organ 
for  the  practice  of  love.     It  interested  itself  first  in  those  of  its  members  who 
needed  help  in  any  way,  then  it  went  beyond  them  to  embrace  in  its  love  those 
who  stood  without.     For  these  were  to  be  won  for  the  Church.     Love  worked 
in  a  missionary  way.     It  excluded  none,  as  the  grace  which  kindled  it  excluded 
no  one,  not  even  enemies   and   persecutors.  .  .  .  The   heathen    recognized 
this  sign.     With  amazement  they  gazed  upon  this  new  strange  life  of  love,  and 
it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  victory  of  the  Church,  like  that  of  her  Lord, 
was  a  victory  of  ministering  love." — UHLHORN:   The  Conflict  of  Christianity 
•with  Heathenism,  pp.  197,  191. 

2  "  As  there  could  be  no  kingdom  of  God  upon  earth  without  the  Church, 
so  would  charity  soon  die  out  in  all  other  spheres  if  the  Church  desisted  from 
it;  and  whatever  rendering  of  assistance  and  care  for  the  poor  there  might 
remain  would  be  of  quite  a  different  character  from  compassionate  love. 
For  all  love  has  its  origin  in  the  love  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus,  of  which  the 
Church  is  witness,  not  only  by  her  words,  but  also  by  her  deeds,  inasmuch 
as  she  practices  the  works  of  charity.     From  her  is  derived  the  call  to,  as  well 
as  the  strength  for,  charity  in  all  its  spheres;  she  shows  to  its  every  form  that 
its  highest  end  lies  in  the  advancement  of  the  kingdom  of  God;  she  leads  us 
to  love,  just  as  our  Lord,  while  He  Himself  did  works  of  mercy,  taught  His 
disciples  to  do  the  same.     Just  as  the  idea  of  the  kingdom  of  God  is  more 
comprehensive  than  that  of  the  Church,  while  the  Church  is  the  central  point 
of  the  kingdom  of  God  upon  earth;  so  also  is  Christian  charity  more  com- 
prehensive than  that  of  the  Church,  but  the  Church  is  and  remains  the  central 
point.     Let  us  remember  that  there  could  not  be  any  real  charity  in  the 
heathen  world  because  there  was  no  community.     There  is  one  now;  our  Lord 
has  founded  it.     The  day  of  Pentecost  was,  as  it  were,  the  birthday  of  the 
Church;  and  it  was  also  the  birthday  of  that  Christian  charity  which  is  in- 
separable from  the  Church." — UHLHORN:  Christian  Charity  in  the  Ancient 
Church,  pp.  71,  72. 


INTRODUCTION  2f 

family  on  earth,  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  neighbor;  and  that 
only  he  who  shows  mercy  to  those  in  actual  need  is  possessed 
of  true  neighborly  love.  This  love  does  not  ask:  "Who 
are  you?"  "What  is  your  nationality?"  "To  what 
creed  do  you  hold?"  and  the  like;  but  to  any  one  actually 
fallen  among  thieves,  robbed  and  wounded,  it  is  at  once 
ready  to  give  adequate  relief.  It  is  compassionate;  it  in- 
vestigates to  determine  actual  conditions;  it  renders  personal 
service;  it  sacrifices  comfort,  time,  and  means;  it  does  not 
grow  weary  in  well  doing;  and  in  all  that  it  does  it  is  ab- 
solutely unselfish.  The  Good  Samaritan  loved,  not  in  word, 
neither  in  tongue,  but  "in  deed  and  in  truth";  and  having 
done  so,  he  departed  and  did  not  even  reveal  his  name. 

In  the  parables  of  the  Lost  Sheep  and  the  Lost  Coin  the 
reference  is  to  those  who  were  once  in  the  kingdom  of  grace, 
but  who  are  there  no  longer.  Both  the  sheep  and  the  coin 
were  lost,  but  the  one  through  its  own  fault,  by  straying 
from  the  flock  of  itself;  the  other  through  the  lack  of  care  and 
watchfulness  on  the  part  of  the  woman.  The  shepherd 
speaks  of  his  sheep  which  was  lost,  the  woman,  of  the  coin 
which  she  lost.  Both  parables,  therefore,  set  before  us  a 
condition  which  has  always  existed,  and  which  it  is  the  very 
specific  object  of  the  Inner  Mission  to  overcome.  Both 
are  also  illustrations  of  the  seeking  love  and  the  personal 
effort  which  characterize  Inner  Mission  methods.  Only 
one  lost  sheep !  Only  one  lost  piece  of  silver !  Yet  what 
efforts  are  put  forth  to  find  the  one  !  The  man  goes  after  the 
lost  sheep,  and  does  not  cease  to  seek  until  he  finds  it !  The 
woman  lights  a  candle,  sweeps  the  house,  and  searches  dili- 
gently for  the  lost  piece  until  it  comes  to  view  !  The  Church's 
duty  is  thus  made  plain.  Her  work  must  be  aggressive, 
personal  and  individual.  With  her  Word  and  Sacraments, 
her  ministry  of  mercy,  her  willing  men  and  women,  and  all 
her  saving  agencies  she  must  seek  the  lost  until  she  finds 
them.  The  Lord's  own  ministry  was  a  seeking  and  saving 
ministry,  in  many  cases  a  laboring  with  individual  souls 
(Nicodemus,  the  woman  of  Samaria,  etc.);  and  His  express 


28  THE   INNER  MISSION 

command  is:  "G0,  and  make  disciples"  (Matt.  28:19); 
"Go  out  quickly  into  the  streets  and  lanes  of  the  city,  and 
bring  in  hither  the  poor,  and  the  maimed,  and  the  halt,  and 
the  blind"  (Luke  14  -.21). 

And  in  this  kind  of  service  the  Lord  requires  persistent 
faithfulness.  Those  whom  He  has  called  into  His  Church 
are  not  to  be  idlers,  but  workers  (Parable  of  the  Laborers 
in  the  Vineyard,  Matt.  20  :  1-16).  All  such  are  to  regard 
themselves  as  servants  to  whom  their  Master  has  entrusted 
gifts,  abilities,  means,  and  opportunities  which  they  are  to 
utilize  to  the  utmost  (Parable  of  the  Talents,  Matt.  25: 
14-30;  of  the  Pounds,  Luke  19:11-27;  and  of  the  Unjust 
Steward,  Luke  16  : 1-9).  To  fail  to  do  so  is  to  invite  con- 
demnation. The  servant  who  hid  his  talent  in  the  earth  is 
called  "  wicked  and  slothful";  he  who  laid  up  his  pound  in  a 
napkin  is  also  denominated  "  wicked  ";  and  the  steward  who 
had  wasted  his  master's  goods  is  termed  "  unjust."  All 
of  them  were  unfaithful  to  their  trust,  and  were  dealt  with 
accordingly. 

In  endeavoring  to  mold  society  by  changing  the  units 
which  compose  it,  the  Inner  Mission  recognizes  the  truth 
conveyed  in  the  Parable  of  the  Leaven,  to  wit,  that  the 
kingdom  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the  great,  though  silent 
transforming  power  not  only  in  the  heart  and  life  of  the  in- 
dividual, but  also  in  the  thought  and  life  of  the  world.  The 
Church  (the  woman  of  the  parable) ,  with  her  means  of  grace, 
is  the  institution  through  which  the  Holy  Spirit  applies 
redemption.  The  Gospel  which  she  preaches  and  teaches 
is  the  new  and  quickening  force  brought  into  human  life 
from  above.  And  this  Word  of  the  kingdom,  hidden  in  the 
mass,  silently  but  effectually  changes  it  from  within  out- 
ward. "  The  true  renovation,  that  which  God  effects,  is 
ever  thus,  from  the  inward  to  the  outward;  it  begins  in  the 
inner  spiritual  world,  though  it  does  not  end  there:  for  it 
fails  not  to  bring  about,  in  good  time,  a  mighty  change  also 
in  the  outward  and  visible  world." 1  Thus  it  has  always 

1  TRENCH:  Notes  on  the  Parables  of  Our  Lord,  p.  118. 


INTRODUCTION  29 

been.  The  Gospel,  at  first  received  and  believed  by  only 
a  few,  made  of  these  new  creatures  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  fitted 
them  to  become  the  bearers  of  salvation  to  others.  Working 
from  center  to  circumference  the  leaven  thus  introduced 
finally  permeated  more  or  less  the  entire  Roman  empire. 
It  transformed  the  Teutonic  nations.  It  is  to-day  the  great 
vitalizing  and  uplifting  force  in  heathen  lands;  and  would  we 
see  what  changes  it  is  capable  of  producing  in  isolated  com- 
munities we  need  but  point  to  a  single  illustration  like  that 
furnished  by  Oberlin  in  his  remarkable  work  in  the  Steinthal. 
The  Inner  Mission,  while  neglecting  no  external  agency  by 
which  human  needs  can  be  relieved,  is  then  altogether  right 
in  laying  stress  chiefly  on  the  means  whereby  the  Holy 
Spirit  renews  and  purifies  the  heart  of  man.  Individuals, 
communities,  and  nations  are  changed  and  made  better  only 
as  they  come  under  the  transforming  power  of  the  Gospel. 

Numerous  other  sayings  of  Jesus  are  also  to  be  noted  in  this 
connection.  Thus  Matt.  9:37,  38:  "The  harvest  truly 
is  plenteous,  but  the  labourers  are  few;  Pray  ye  therefore  the 
Lord  of  the  harvest,  that  He  will  send  forth  labourers  into 
His  harvest."  Jesus  had  just  made  a  tour  of  the  cities  and 
villages  of  Galilee,  "  teaching  in  their  synagogues,  and  preach- 
ing the  Gospel  of  the  kingdom,  and  healing  every  sickness 
and  every  disease  among  the  people."  What  He  saw  of  the 
spiritual  and  physical  misery  of  the  multitudes  filled  him  with 
compassion;  and  this  compassion  found  utterance  in  the 
above  words  to  His  disciples.  But  what  He  then  declared 
to  be  the  case  is  equally  true  to-day.  How  large  is  still 
the  number  of  the  churchless  and  Christless,  of  the  indiffer- 
ent and  neglected,  of  the  distressed  and  needy !  And  how 
few  in  comparison  are  those  who,  as  real  laborers,  put  their 
gifts  and  talents  into  actual  use  whenever  and  wherever 
they  have  the  opportunity !  We  have  largely  accustomed 
ourselves  to  an  easy-going  Christianity.  We  love  to  take,  but 
not  to  give.  We  seek  ease  and  enjoyment,  but  shun  service 
and  sacrifice.  We  are  satisfied  with  ourselves  when  we  have 
fulfilled,  as  we  think,  our  obligations  to  God,  and  forget 


30  THE  INNER  MISSION 

too  often  our  obligations  to  our  fellows.  We  make  our 
service  of  God  to  consist  of  the  hymns  we  sing  and  the  pray- 
ers we  offer,  and  fail  to  remember  that  "  pure  religion  and 
undefiled  before  God  and  the  Father  is  this,  To  visit  the 
fatherless  and  widows  in  their  affliction,  and  to  keep  himself 
unspotted  from  the  world"  (James  i :  27).  In  a  word,  we 
too  often  overlook  the  intimate  relation  between  the  two 
great  commandments.  We  do  not  fully  recognize  the  truth 
taught  in  the  second,  that  as  members  of  the  kingdom  we  are 
to  serve  men  as  well  as  God,  and  that  he  loves  and  serves 
God  best  who,  in  Christ's  name  and  for  Christ's  sake,  most 
lovingly  and  faithfully  discharges  his  duties  to  his  fellow- 
men.  Therefore  we  need  to  pray  that  the  Lord  will  send 
forth  laborers  into  His  harvest.  We  need  to  ask  not  only 
that  He  will  make  others  willing,  but  that  He  will  also  make 
us  willing.  We  need  to  beg  for  increased  light,  warmer  love, 
larger  views  of  duty,  a  more  self-sacrificing  spirit,  more  ready 
obedience.  Yes,  we  need  to  pray  for  the  disposition  of  which 
Paul  speaks  when  he  says:  "  Let  this  mind  be  in  you,  which 
was  also  in  Christ  Jesus;  who,  being  in  the  form  of  God, 
thought  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God,  but  made 
Himself  of  no  reputation,  and  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a 
servant"  (800X0$  =  a  bond-servant,  a  slave,  Phil.  2:5-7). 
And  the  more  we  pray  for  this  mind,  the  more  will  we  be- 
come like  the  Master,  until  with  Him  we  will  find  ourselves 
compelled  to  say:  "  I  must  work  the  works  of  Him  that  sent 
me  while  it  is  day;  the  night  cometh,  when  no  man  can  work  " 
(John  9:4). 

As  touching  the  question  of  service,  Jesus  says  of  Him- 
self: "  The  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto, 
but  to  minister,  and  to  give  His  life  a  ransom  for  many  " 
(Matt.  20  :  28).  The  terms  used  in  this  connection  (v.  26, 
dtdxovo?  =  servant;  v.  27,  3ovlo$  =  bond-servant;  v.  28, 
dtaxovtw  =  to  serve)  indicate  clearly  how  Jesus  regarded 
Himself  and  His  work,  and  how  He  would  have  those  called 
into  His  kingdom  regard  themselves.  Paul  (Rom.  i :  i), 
Peter  (2  Peter  i  :  i),  James  (i  :  i),  Jude  (i),  and  John 


INTRODUCTION  $1 

(Rev.  1:1)  employ  the  second  of  the  above  terms  to  desig- 
nate their  relation  to  Christ  as  their  Lord  and  Master;  and 
in  a  similar  sense  it  applies  to  all  Christians.  Jesus  was  in 
the  highest  sense  the  servant  both  of  His  heavenly  Father 
(John  6 :  38;  5  :  30;  4 :  34)  and  of  those  whom  He  came  to 
save  (Luke  22  :  27).  To  serve  both  He  laid  aside  the  glory 
which  He  had  with  the  Father,  entered  upon  a  life  of  deepest 
humiliation,  of  constant  self-denial,  of  incessant  toil,  of  pa- 
tient sacrifice  and  suffering,  and  finally  endured  the  cross, 
despising  the  shame.  Even  the  most  menial  service,  such  as 
ordinarily  only  the  slaves  of  the  household  were  expected  to 
perform,  was  not  beneath  Him  (John  13:1-17).  Again, 
therefore,  He  sets  the  example  which  all  believers,  no  matter 
how  exalted  their  position  or  how  high  their  social  standing, 
must  seek  to  imitate.  For  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of 
others  genuine  Christian  love  does  not  hesitate  to  perform 
the  meanest  and  most  repulsive  service  when  the  necessity 
for  it  arises;  and  only  he  who  is  willing  and  ready  to  do  so  is 
truly  great. 

Among  other  sayings  of  Jesus  pertinent  to  our  subject  are 
the  following: 

"  Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men,  that  they  may  see 
your  good  works,  and  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  " 
(Matt.  5  :  16).  Jesus  never  meant  that  believers  should 
hide  themselves  in  cloisters.  On  the  contrary,  He  would 
have  them  be  lights  in  the  world,  reflecting  in  their  good 
deeds  the  light  they  receive  from  Him,  preeminently  the  Light 
of  the  world.  And  they  are  to  be  and  do  this  not  to  attract 
attention  to  themselves,  but  to  demonstrate  the  heart  and 
life-renewing  power  of  the  Gospel;  not  to  have  men  praise 
them,  but  that  men  may  have  cause  to  glorify  God.  A  light 
cannot  help  shining.  So  genuine  Christians  do  good  un- 
consciously, because  it  is  their  nature.  Light  shines  without 
making  a  noise.  So  do  the  good  works  of  believers  send  forth 
a  silent  yet  none  the  less  powerful  influence.  Light  warms 
and  enlivens.  So  do  the  ministrations  of  love  and  mercy 
in  Christ's  name  bring  brightness  and  cheer  into  the  lives  of 


32  THE  INNER  MISSION 

the  suffering  and  needy.  Light  is  diffusive.  Thus  the 
Christian  simply  by  what  he  is  and  does  becomes  a  mission- 
ary to  the  unenlightened  about  him. 

"  She  hath  done  what  she  could"  (Mark  14  :  8).  It  was 
a  sacrifice  of  sincerest  love  that  evoked  this  commendation 
from  Jesus.  So  great  was  the  woman's  love  that  she  brought 
the  Lord  the  costliest  gift  she  had.  Love  and  sacrifice  al- 
ways go  together.  Where  the  former  is,  the  latter  will  not 
be  wanting.  Where  Christ  dwells  in  the  heart,  time,  means, 
and  comfort  will  be  willingly  and  abundantly  offered  for  the 
extension  of  His  kingdom.  The  best  that  can  be  given  will 
not  be  withheld.  From  the  days  of  the  apostles  until  now  the 
work  of  the  kingdom  has  gone  forward  because  men  and 
women,  in  love  to  their  Lord,  have  done  what  they  could; 
and  this  in  numberless  cases  meant  the  giving  of  themselves. 

"  This  poor  widow  hath  cast  more  in  than  all  they  which 
have  cast  into  the  treasury.  For  all  they  did  cast  in  of  their 
abundance;  but  she  of  her  want  did  cast  in  all  that  she  had, 
even  all  her  living"  (Mark  12:43,  44)-  Here  again  the 
lesson  of  sacrifice  is  taught,  but  in  a  different  way.  This 
woman  had  no  costly  offering  to  bring — she  was  only  a  poor 
widow;  but  she  brought  "  all  that  she  had,  even  all  her 
living,"  and  this  was  only  two  mites.  Here  was  a  far  greater 
sacrifice  than  all  those  had  made  who  had  cast  in  of  their 
abundance.  With  the  Lord  it  is  not  the  intrinsic  value  of  the 
gift  that  counts,  but  the  motive  and  the  cost  to  us.  Thus 
the  poorest  in  earthly  goods,  if  rich  in  faith,  may  become 
rich  in  good  works. 


PART   FIRST 

I.  PRELIMINARY  HISTORY  OF  THE  INNER  MISSION 
A.  In  the  Early  Church 

FIRST   THREE    CENTURIES 

IN  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  we  find  in  merest  outline  a 
picture  of  the  religious  and  moral  life  of  primitive  Chris- 
tianity. Heathenism  had  asked  the  question,  What  is 
truth?  And  Judaism,  Who  is  my  neighbor?  To  both  these 
questions  Christianity  gave  the  answer.  In  the  person 
of  Jesus  Christ  the  Truth  and  Love  had  become  incarnate. 
The  one  comprised  the  substance  of  all  His  preaching  and 
teaching;  the  other  was  the  moving  principle  of  all  His 
works.  "  And  Christians  learned  to  find  both  in  Him; 
they  learned  to  possess  the  truth  in  faith,  to  practise  love  in 
life.  The  former  was  their  religious,  the  latter  their  moral, 
life.  Faith  and  love  constitute  the  new  life  which  entered 
into  the  world  with  Jesus  Christ."1 

To  beget  faith  and  establish  His  kingdom  in  the  world 
Christ  instituted  His  Word  and  Sacraments,  and  gave  com- 
mand to  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature  (Matt.  28: 
19,  20;  Mark  16  : 15).  By  the  foolishness  of  preaching  men 
were  to  be  saved  (i  Cor.  i  :  21),  and  through  Word  and 
Sacrament  the  new  life  which  Jesus  brought  into  the  world 
was  to  be  communicated  and  find  its  expression  in  the  lives 
of  believers.  Preaching,  therefore,  became  the  chief  busi- 
ness of  Christ's  disciples  after  His  ascension.  Beginning 
^UTHARDT:  The  Church,  Edinburgh,  1867,  p.  69. 

33 


34       PRELIMINARY   HISTORY   OF  THE  INNER  MISSION 

with  Peter,  through  whose  sermon  on  the  day  of  Pentecost 
three  thousand  were  led  to  repentance,  and  were  baptized 
and  added  to  the  Church,  apostles,  prophets,  evangelists, 
pastors,  and  teachers  proclaimed  the  Gospel  wherever  they 
went,  not  only  to  fit  believers  more  perfectly  for  service  in 
the  work  of  building  up  the  body  of  Christ  (Eph.  4  : 11-16), 
but  also  to  win  those  who  were  still  without.  Nor  was  the 
privilege  of  prophesying  restricted  to  a  class.  The  later 
distinction  between  clergy  and  laity  was  not  yet  made. 
As  every  Christian  was  a  priest  (i  Peter  2  :  5,  9),  every  one 
who  had  the  gift  was  permitted  to  speak,  but  always  only 
within  the  limits  of  decency  and  order  (i  Cor.  chap.  14). 
Extraordinarily  gifted  preachers  and  teachers  of  this  kind 
were  Stephen  (Acts,  chaps.  6  and  7)  and  Apollos  (Acts  18: 
24;  19  :  i)  in  the  apostolic  Church,  and  in  the  post-apostolic 
Church  Origen  (185-254)  before  his  ordination  as  a  pres- 
byter. 

The  fruit  of  the  living  faith  begotten  by  the  Word  was  love. 
The  mind  of  Him  in  whom  the  first  Christian  confessors 
believed  reproduced  itself  in  their  minds,  His  life  flowed 
through  their  lives.  In  rich  measure  they  fulfilled  His 
word:  "  By  this  shall  all  men  know  that  ye  are  my  dis- 
ciples, if  ye  have  love  one  to  another"  (John  13:35).  A 
new  commandment  He  had  given  them,  namely,  that  they 
love  one  another,  as  He  had  loved  them  (John  13:34); 
and  this  meant  self-denial  and  sacrifice  (John  6  :  38;  Rom.  15: 
3;  Eph.  5:2;  Matt.  16  :  24;  Luke  14  :  27  et  al.},  and  included 
all  men — foes  as  well  as  friends  (Luke  23:34;  Matt.  5: 
44,  45),  those  that  had  done  them  evil,  as  well  as  those  that 
had  done  them  good  (Matt.  5:46,  47;  Rom.  12:20),  the 
poor  and  lowly,  as  well  as  the  rich  and  favored  (Rom.  12: 
16;  James  2  :i-io). 

Here  was  a  new  principle,  a  principle  to  which  Heathenism 
was  a  stranger,  and  which  even  Judaism  with  its  legalistic 
spirit  failed  to  understand.  "  The  world  before  Christ  came 
was  a  world  without  love." 1  Especially  did  the  charity  of 

1  UHLHORN. 


IN   THE   EARLY  CHURCH  35 

post-exilian  Judaism  lack  universality  and  freedom,  and, 
confining  itself  within  the  narrow  limits  of  nationality  and 
legal  requirement,  become  something  done  only  for  the  sake 
of  reward;  while  in  the  writings  of  pagan  authors  we  find 
such  expressions  as  these:  "  He  does  the  beggar  but  a  bad 
service  who  gives  him  meat  and  drink;  for  what  he  gives  is 
lost,  and  the  life  of  the  poor  is  but  prolonged  to  their  own 
misery."1  "Canst  thou  by  any  means  condescend  so  far 
as  that  the  poor  shall  not  appear  unto  thee  loathsome?"2 
"  Of  everything  praiseworthy,  the  generous  man  takes  as 
his  own  share  the  best."3  Plato  contends  that  all  beggars 
should  be  driven  out;  that  no  one  should  interest  himself 
in  the  poor  when  they  are  sick;  and  that  when  the  constitu- 
tion of  a  laboring  man  cannot  withstand  sickness,  he  is  good 
only  as  a  subject  for  experiments.  Though  here  and  there 
in  the  writings  of  the  heathen  philosophers  noble  sentiments 
are  also  expressed; 4  and  though  the  State  extended  aid  to  the 
poor  in  the  free  distribution  of  corn,  bread,  etc.,  and  those 
who  belonged  to  the  numerous  guilds  received  regular  bene- 
fits, we  yet  nowhere  find  pure  and  genuine  charity.  The 
State  often  gave  only  to  prevent  the  revolutionary  uprising 
of  the  populace;  the  gifts  bestowed  by  rulers  were  frequently 
intended  only  to  hide  and  further  ambitious  designs;  and  the 
benefits  conferred  by  the  guilds  and  societies  were  shared 
only  by  the  members.  Thus  all  was  characterized  by  an 
intense  selfishness,  a  supreme  egoism. 

No  wonder  that  in  contrast  with  this  the  heathen  were 
impressed  when  they  saw  the  charity  (love)  of  the  Christians, 
which  "  seeketh  not  her  own."  In  the  parent  congregation 
at  Jerusalem  this  at  first  manifested  itself  in  a  voluntary 
community  of  goods  (Acts  2  :  44,  45;  4  :  32,  34,  35),  a  pro- 

i  PLAUTUS.  2  QTJINTILIAN.  '  ARISTOTLE. 

«Thus  SENECA:  "It  belongs  to  beneficence  to  give  willingly  to  any  one 
whom  I  esteem  worthy,  and  to  reap  joy  as  the  reward  of  my  good  deed." 
"Kindness  persisted  in  subdues  at  last  even  the  wicked."  "I  will  therefore 
not  weary,  but  will  go  on  the  more  diligently,  as  a  good  husbandman  con- 
quers the  barrenness  of  his  land  by  a  double  sowing  of  seed."  "It  is  not  the 
sign  of  a  noble  spirit  to  give  and  to  lose,  but  it  is  the  sign  of  a  noble  spirit  to 
lose  and  still  to  give." 


36       PRELIMINARY  HISTORY  OF   THE  INNER  MISSION 

cedure  which  naturally  became  impracticable  when  Chris- 
tianity spread  over  the  whole  of  Palestine  and  to  other 
countries.  This  was,  however,  "  not  an  external  community 
of  goods,  as  communism  imagines,  but  such  a  compensation 
of  all  inequalities  as  the  free  spirit  of  love  could  alone  effect." l 
The  Church  bore  the  character  of  an  enlarged  family.  Just 
as  the  adult  members  of  a  family  would  use  their  separate 
possessions  to  help  one  another  in  their  individual  needs,  so 
it  was  then;  and  as  the  communal  life  of  the  family  finds 
its  fullest  expression  in  the  common  meals,  so  the  Agapce, 
or  love  feasts,  with  which  the  administration  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  was  connected,  formed  the  center  of  the  life  of  the 
Jerusalem  congregation.  When,  at  a  later  period,  this  same 
congregation  needed  help  the  Gentile  Christians  manifested 
their  love  by  making  liberal  collections  for  it  (Rom.  15  :  25, 
26;  i  Cor.  16  : 1-4). 

At  first  the  free-will  offerings  were  brought  to  the  apostles 
and  were  dispensed  by  them  (Acts  4  :  34,  35);  but  the  large 
accessions  to  the  body  of  believers  soon  made  a  distribution 
of  functions  necessary.  The  murmuring  of  the  Grecians 
against  the  Hebrews  "  because  their  widows  were  neglected 
in  the  daily  ministration  "  (Acts  6  :  i)  furnished  the  occasion 
for  the  institution  of  a  new  office  to  which  the  apostles  com- 
mitted the  distribution  of  the  alms,  while  they  henceforth 
gave  themselves  "  continually  to  prayer  and  to  the  ministry 
of  the  Word"  (Acts  6:8).  This  was  the  beginning  of  the 
New  Testament  diaconate,  to  which  women  were  also  sub- 
sequently admitted  (pp.  86-90).  This  new  office  was, 
however,  not  meant  to  relieve  individual  Christians  of  the 
exercise  of  charity.  This  must  remain  a  duty  of  every 
Christian,  no  matter  how  much  may  be  done  by  the  appointed 
officials  and  the  organized  activities  of  the  Church. 

In  the  post-apostolic  Church  until  about  the  time  of 
Constantine  Christian  charity  assumed  an  organized  form 
and  became  in  the  best  sense  Gemeindepflege,  i.  e.,  a  congrega- 
tion as  such  took  care  of  its  needy,  deacons,  deaconesses,  and 
i  LUTHARDT:  The  Church,  p.  74. 


IN  THE  EARLY  CHURCH  37 

godly  women  of  the  congregation  being  employed  in  the 
service  under  the  direction  and  oversight  of  the  bishop 
(presbyter  or  pastor).  Of  institutions  of  mercy  there  could 
yet  be  no  thought,  inasmuch  as  it  was  a  period  of  persecu- 
tion. Nor  were  they  needed.  Christians  were  still  in  the 
flush  of  their  first  love.  They  were  ready  and  willing  to 
give  and  sacrifice  and  be  sacrificed,  and  regarded  no  personal 
service  of  love  and  mercy  too  great  to  render.  And  as  long 
as  the  houses  of  Christians  everywhere  stood  open  for  the 
care  of  needy  brethren  and  the  entertainment  of  strangers, 
so  long  institutions  of  mercy  were  not  required. 

There  were  two  forms  of  giving,  the  one  observed  at  the 
morning  worship,  the  other  at  the  celebration  of  the  Lord's 
Supper.  For  the  former  a  box  stood  in  the  place  of  meeting, 
in  which  was  placed  every  week  a  free-will  offering  for  the 
poor.  The  other  and  usual  form  of  giving  was  that  of  the 
oblations,  or  offerings  at  the  Lord's  Supper,  brought  by  the 
communicants.  These  offerings  consisted  chiefly  of  natural 
products.  Sufficient  bread  and  wine  was  reserved  for  the 
Communion,  and  the  remainder  was  set  aside  for  the  support 
of  the  clergy  and  the  poor.  Offerings  were  also  often  made 
on  special  and  joyful  occasions,  like  the  day  of  baptism. 
What  was  in  these  several  ways  brought  together  by  the 
Church  was  at  once  expended.  Reputable  widows,  for 
whose  maintenance  Paul  gave  special  directions  (i  Tim.  5: 
3-16),  were  cared  for  during  life,  and  these  hi  turn  again 
served  the  Church  in  various  capacities.  "  Destitute 
orphans  were  reared  by  widows  or  deaconesses  under  the 
supervision  of  the  bishop.  The  boys  learned  a  trade,  and 
when  grown  up  received  the  tools  necessary  for  its  prosecu- 
tion. The  girls,  unless  they  joined  the  number  of  those  who 
remained  unmarried  (the  deaconesses,  for  instance),  were 
married  each  to  some  Christian  brother.  Often  children 
who  had  been  abandoned  by  the  heathen — and  the  number 
of  such  was  large — were  received  and  given  a  Christian 
education  together  with  the  orphans.  Even  slaves  were 
also  accepted,  their  freedom  purchased  with  the  church 


38       PRELIMINARY  HISTORY   OF   THE  INNER  MISSION 

funds,  and  help  afforded  them  to  earn  a  living.  Or,  where 
captives  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  barbarians,  a  ransom 
was  paid  for  their  liberation.  Those  who  had  been  im- 
prisoned on  account  of  their  faith  needed  special  care.  They 
were  visited  in  their  prisons  and  provided  for  as  far  as  pos- 
sible."1 Concerning  the  treatment  of  slaves  Uhlhorn  says 
further  :  "  No  less  did  Christianity  transform  the  relation 
between  masters  and  servants.  .  .  .  They  looked  upon  each 
other  now  as  brethren,  as  Paul  writes  to  Philemon  of  the 
slave  Onesimus,  '  that  thou  shouldest  receive  him,  not  now 
as  a  servant,  but  above  a  servant,  a  brother  beloved.'  As 
members  of  the  Church  there  was  no  difference  between 
them.  They  came  to  the  same  house  of  God,  acknowledged 
one  Lord,  prayed  and  sang  together,  ate  of  the  same  bread, 
and  drank  from  the  same  cup.  .  .  .  The  Church,  it  is  true, 
would  not  receive  a  slave  without  a  certificate  of  good  con- 
duct from  his  Christian  master,  but  when  this  condition  was 
complied  with  he  became  a  full  member  without  any  limita- 
tions. He  was  even  eligible  to  its  offices,  not  excepting  that 
of  bishop.  Not  infrequently  it  occurred  that  a  slave  was  an 
elder  in  the  same  church  of  which  his  master  was  only  a 
member."2 

Nor  did  a  congregation  confine  its  charitable  work  only 
to  itself.  Collections  were  also  made  for  the  suffering 
elsewhere.  We  have  already  seen  how  the  Gentile  Christians 
aided  the  needy  congregation  at  Jerusalem.  In  his  Second 
Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  Paul  devotes  two  entire  chapters 
(8th  and  gth)  to  the  subject  of  contributing  to  the  necessities 
of  the  saints.  Eusebius  informs  us  that  in  A.  D.  150  the 
church  at  Rome  sent  rich  gifts  into  the  provinces  to  alleviate 
the  miseries  of  a  famine.  "  An  active  benevolence,"  says 
Uhlhorn  again,  "  extended  its  net  over  the  whole  empire, 
and  wherever  a  Christian  went,  even  to  the  borders  of  bar- 
barous tribes,  and  beyond  these  too,  he  knew  that  he  was 

'UHLHORN:  The  Conflict  of  Christianity  with  Heathenism,  p.  202.  See 
also  JUSTIN  MARTYR'S  First  Apology,  Ante-Nicene  Fathers,  Amer.  ed.  Vol.  i, 
ch.  Ixvii,  p.  1 86. 

2  Conflict,  pp.  185,  1 86. 


IN  THE  EARLY  CHURCH  39 

near  to  brethren  who  were  ready  at  any  time  to  minister  to 
his  need."  *  "  The  churches  of  the  first  two  and  a  half 
centuries  may  be  regarded  as  so  many  compact  organiza- 
tions for  charitable  work.  Its  oversight  being  entrusted 
to  the  bishops,  there  was  an  immediateness  and  directness 
of  relief  which  otherwise  were  not  possible.  The  close 
affiliations  of  the  bishops  with  each  other,  and  the  system 
of  circular  letters  which  had  been  adopted,  enabled  the  entire 
Church  to  concentrate  its  gifts  upon  a  single  locality  which 
had  been  visited  with  sudden  or  peculiar  distress.  More- 
over, the  association  of  the  bishop  with  sub-helpers,  as 
elders,  deacons,  the  widows  and  the  deaconesses,  allowed 
of  faithful  and  minute  supervision,  and  of  a  consequent 
wise  and  economical  administration  of  the  charities."' 

And  still  more  than  this.  The  benevolence  of  the  Chris- 
tians also  reached  the  heathen.  When,  for  instance,  in 
times  of  great  pestilence  (Carthage,  Alexandria)  the  heathen 
abandoned  their  sick,  and  cast  the  dying  and  dead  out  into 
the  streets,  the  Christians  cared  tenderly  for  those  still 
living  and  buried  the  dead.  Such  deeds  of  mercy  were  com- 
mon in  all  the  departments  of  charitable  activity,  and  that 
too  "  immediately  after  the  Christians  had  been  most  hor- 
ribly persecuted,  and  while  the  sword  still  hung  daily  over 
their  heads."3 

And  in  the  labor  of  love — in  giving  and  doing — all  took 
part  according  to  their  abilities  and  opportunities,  even 
though  the  Church  also  had  her  special  organs  for  it.  The 
love  which  originally  inspired  the  Christians  continued 
to  manifest  itself  with  unabated  warmth  and  vigor  beyond 
the  apostolic  age.  Both  Jewish  and  Gentile  Christians 
gave  freely  and  labored  self-denyingly  because  they  realized 
in  fullest  measure  from  what  bondage  of  legalism  on  the  one 
hand,  and  of  corruption  on  the  other,  they  had  been  delivered. 
They  loved  much  because  much  had  been  forgiven  and  given 
them. 

1  Conflict,  p.  203. 

2  BENNETT:  Christian  Archaeology,  p.  494.  '  Conflict,  p.  205. 


40       PRELIMINARY   HISTORY   OF   THE  INNER  MISSION 

But  with  all  her  diffuse  liberality  the  Early  Church  prac- 
tised benevolence  with  a  wisdom  that  modern  charitable 
organizations  are  in  many  cases  just  beginning  to  learn. 
Her  charity  was  not  indiscriminate  and  did  not  tend  to 
pauperize.  She  obeyed  the  injunction  of  Paul:  "  This 
we  commanded  you,  that  if  any  would  not  work,  neither 
should  he  eat,"  and  withdrew  from  such,  as  he  directed 
(2  Thess.  3  :  6-10).  The  thoroughness  of  her  organiza- 
tion and  administration  afforded  the  best  possible  guarantee 
against  abuses.  "  First,  accurate  lists  were  kept  of  those 
who  received  stated  assistance,  so  that  immediate  and  thor- 
ough inspection  was  possible.  Second,  the  aid  afforded 
was  usually  of  the  necessaries  of  life.  Third,  the  support 
of  such  as  had  abandoned  a  trade,  or  otherwise  suffered 
peculiar  hardship  for  the  sake  of  Christ,  was  of  a  simple 
and  inexpensive  nature,  thus  reducing  to  a  minimum  the 
temptation  to  deception  and  fraud.  Fourth,  the  special 
pains  to  have  orphans  of  Christian  parents  adopted  by 
childless  couples,  and  trained  in  habits  of  industry,  was  a 
most  beneficent  provision  which  kept  alive  the  spirit  of  purest 
charity,  and  most  effectually  guarded  against  the  increase 
of  pauperism.  Fifth,  the  solemn  charge  to  bishops  that  they 
be  solicitous  to  aid  the  truly  needy,  but  at  the  same  time 
do  all  in  their  power  to  place  everybody,  so  far  as  possible, 
in  a  condition  of  self-help." l  All  these,  and  other  particulars 
that  we  learn  from  the  Apostolic  Constitutions,  go  to  show 
that  the  practice  of  charity  in  the  Early  Church  had  a  solid 
Scriptural  foundation;  and  that  where  similar  principles 
are  put  in  effect  to-day  it  is  merely  a  return  to  the  old. 

Thus  the  work  of  mercy  continued  to  be  administered 
by  and  through  the  congregations  down  to  the  close  of  the 
third  century.  Deacons,  deaconesses,  volunteers,  and  Chris- 
tians in  general  all  did  their  duty,  following  faithfully  the 
admonitions  and  directions  of  their  presbyters  and  bishops. 
And  here  we  find  the  pattern  for  much  of  the  work  which 
churches  of  to-day  ought  to  do;  and  when  once  the  needs  of 

»  BENNETT:  Christian  Archeology,  p.  495- 


IN  THE  EARLY  CHURCH  41 

to-day  are  met  by  them  as  were  the  needs  of  those  days,  then 
may  we  also  look  for  like  results. 

Among  those  who  during  this  early  period  were  espe- 
cially distinguished  for  their  benevolence  were  Cyprian, 
bishop  of  Carthage,  and  Laurentius,  deacon  at  Rome,  both 
of  whom  suffered  martyrdom  in  258.  Immediately  after 
his  conversion,  Cyprian,  who  was  a  man  of  wealth,  gave  part 
of  his  fortune  to  the  poor.  During  the  Decian  persecution, 
when  he  was  already  bishop,  he  did  the  same.  And  when 
many  Christians  were  made  prisoners  of  war  in  Numidia, 
and  the  bishops  of  that  country  applied  to  him  for  help, 
he  ordered  a  collection  in  his  congregation  for  their  ransom, 
which  yielded  a  large  sum.  Of  Laurentius  it  is  said  that 
when  the  treasures  of  his  church  were  demanded  from  him, 
he  brought  forward  the  sick,  the  poor,  and  the  orphaned  of 
his  congregation  and  said:  "  These  are  my  treasures." 

A.  D.  300  TO  600 

In  the  period  lying  between  A.  D.  300  and  600  many 
changes  took  place.  A  marked  distinction  now  began  to  be 
made  between  ciergy  and  laity,  preaching  was  almost  entirely 
restricted  to  the  former,  and  the  administration  of  the  Church's 
charities  took  on  a  greatly  altered  form.  The  cessation  of 
persecution,  the  adoption  of  Christianity  as  the  religion  of 
the  Empire,  the  influx  of  the  masses  into  the  Church,  who 
too  often  sought  her  only  for  the  sake  of  temporal  advantage, 
and  who,  while  themselves  strongly  influenced  by  the  Church, 
in  turn  also  influenced  her — these  are  the  characteristic 
features  of  this  period. 

It  was  only  natural  that  the  powerful  changes  induced 
by  these  features  should  also  affect  the  charities  of  the  Church 
to  a  marked  degree.  In  place  of  comparatively  small  num- 
bers, the  Church  now  had  the  care  of  multitudes  on  her  hands. 
The  more  she  became  a  power  in  the  life  of  the  people,  the 
more  they  turned  to  her  for  help  in  all  manner  of  needs. 
Especially  great  were  the  demands  entailed  by  the  constantly 


42       PRELIMINARY  HISTORY  OF  THE  INNER  MISSION 

increasing  poverty  of  the  masses,  for  which  a  multitude  of 
causes  in  the  decaying  Empire  were  responsible.  To  meet 
new  and  growing  demands  it  became  necessary  for  the  Church 
to  adapt  herself  to  the  changed  conditions.  This  she  did 
in  part  by  reconstructing  congregational  methods,  and  in  part 
by  establishing  institutions  of  mercy;  and  it  is  a  special  char- 
acteristic of  this  period  that  for  the  first  time  in  the  Church's 
history  congregational  and  institutional  charity  are  found 
side  by  side. 

Congregational  methods  were  now  adapted  to  meet  larger 
needs.  The  latter  made  larger  contributions  necessary. 
Nor  were  these  wanting.  Gifts,  legacies,  and  endowments 
flowed  into  the  coffers  of  the  Church  in  rich  profusion. 
Unfortunately,  however,  it  was  no  longer  always  the  simple 
love  of  Christ  that  inspired  benevolence,  and  made  it  a 
blessed  service  which  each  believer  delighted  to  render  for 
His  sake,  without  hope  of  reward,  as  was  the  case  in  the 
martyr  period.  The  doctrine  of  merit  by  good  works  was 
already  gaining  strength;  the  simple  congregational  epis- 
copate was  rapidly  giving  way  to  the  more  formal  and  stately 
diocesan  government;  a  special  priesthood,  with  functions 
of  peculiar  sanctity,  was  beginning  to  take  the  place  of  the 
priesthood  of  all  believers,  and  all  this  "  tended  to  tarnish 
the  charities  of  the  Church,  ...  to  confound  pure  charity 
with  a  kind  of  perfunctory  service  which  was  delegated  to 
chosen  officials  who  must  deal  with  masses  rather  than  with 
individual  sufferers."1  How  impossible  it  was  at  this  time 
to  individualize  work  may  be  seen  in  the  case  of  the  congre- 
gation at  Constantinople,  which  numbered  100,000  souls. 
Though  one  hundred  deacons  and  forty  deaconesses  were  at 
work  in  it,  what  were  these  among  so  many? 

To  aid  congregations  in  the  general  work  institutions  were 
also  established,  and  from  the  last  half  of  the  fourth  to  the 
sixth  century  multiplied  rapidly  in  number.  They  were 
of  two  kinds:  monasteries  and  hospitals.  The  former  were 
places  of  refuge  for  the  needy  of  almost  every  class,  but 

i  BENNETT:  Christian  Archeology,  p.  498. 


IN  THE  EARLY  CHURCH  43 

especially  for  the  poor;  the  latter  at  first  opened  their  doors 
not  only  to  the  sick,  but  also  to  the  poor,  to  widows  and 
orphans,  to  homeless  strangers,  etc. 

Among  those  who  during  this  period  were  most  active  in 
the  work  of  mercy,  by  word  and  act,  preaching,  giving, 
founding  institutions  and  the  like,  may  be  mentioned 
Ephraim,  the  most  celebrated  poet,  exegete,  and  preacher  of 
the  national  Syrian  Church,  who  founded  a  hospital  at 
Edessa;  Basil  the  Great,  bishop  of  Caesarea,  who  devoted  all 
his  property  to  the  poor,  and  established  the  great  colony 
of  mercy  at  Caesarea;  Chrysostom,  who  ministered  to  the 
large  congregation  at  Constantinople,  erected  two  hospitals, 
and  daily  maintained  7700  poor  people;  the  noble  deaconess 
Olympias,1  the  friend  of  Chrysostom;  Ambrose,  bishop  of 
Milan;  Augustine,  bishop  of  Hippo  Regius;  Jerome;  and 
Gregory  the  Great,  bishop  of  Rome. 

In  spite  of  the  extraordinary  efforts  made  by  the  Church 
to  cope  with  the  growing  needs  of  this  period,  and  much  as 
she  did  to  alleviate  them,  she  yet  did  not  succeed  in  overcom- 
ing them.  This  was  no  doubt  in  very  great  measure  due  to 
the  adverse  conditions  produced  by  the  rapid  decay  of 
Graeco-Roman  civilization,  but  the  Church  herself  was  in 
part  to  blame.  She  departed  from  her  earlier  practice  and 
committed  the  fatal  mistake,  against  which  all  charity 
workers  must  constantly  be  on  their  guard  to-day,  namely, 
that  of  extending  aid  indiscriminately  to  all  who  asked, 
without  investigation,  and  altogether  forgetful  of  the  apos- 
tolic injunction  that  he  that  will  not  work,  when  he  can, 
should  not  eat.  This  is  the  mistake  that  is  always  made 
where  charity  work  is  not,  and  cannot,  be  individualized; 

1  Left  a  rich  and  beautiful  widow  at  eighteen,  the  Emperor  Theodosius 
insisted  on  marrying  her  to  a  relative  of  his.  This  she  refused  to  do,  and 
became  a  deaconess.  The  Emperor  thereupon  deprived  her  of  her  property, 
for  which  she  only  thanked  him,  inasmuch  as  it  relieved  her  of  many  cares  and 
anxieties.  When  the  Emperor  found  that  he  could  not  move  her,  he  restored 
her  property,  which  she  now  devoted  entirely  to  the  work  of  mercy  with  the 
most  liberal  hand,  in  which  service  she  was  guided  by  the  pastoral  advice  of 
Chrysostom.  When  the  latter  was  banished  she  continued  her  good  work  at 
Constantinople,  and  was  in  constant  correspondence  with  the  exiled  bishop. 
She  died  in  420. 


44       PRELIMINARY  HISTORY   OF  THE  INNER  MISSION 

and  where  it  is  made,  the  inevitable  result  is  that  idleness  and 
mendicancy  are  encouraged,  and  paupers  are  manufactured 
by  wholesale. 

B.  In  the  Mediaeval  Church 

.  A.  D.  600   TO    1500 

During  the  Middle  Ages  the  dearth  of  preaching  by  the 
clergy  no  less  than  the  growing  corruption  in  doctrine  and 
life  became  responsible  for  the  revival  here  and  there  of  lay 
preaching.  In  France,  Peter  Waldus,  of  Lyons,  and  his 
followers — still  known  as  the  Waldenses — began  to  preach  in 
the  streets,  in  houses,  and  even  in  the  churches  of  their 
native  city.  When  they  were  finally  expelled  they  traveled 
two  by  two  over  the  southern  part  of  France,  penetrated 
into  Switzerland  and  northern  Italy,  and  preached  as  they 
went.  In  England  Wiclif  sent  out  lay  preachers  who,  going 
from  place  to  place,  opened  the  Scriptures  which  their  leader 
had  translated  wherever  they  found  hearers.  In  Italy 
it  was  St.  Francis  of  Assisi  who,  as  a  layman,  became  famous 
as  a  preacher,  and  who  founded  the  order  of  preaching 
monks  which  bears  his  name. 

In  the  domain  of  benevolence  it  is  the  special  characteristic 
of  this  period  that  congregational  charity  as  such  ceased 
entirely,  and  all  benevolent  work  came  to  be  done  through 
the  medium  of  innumerable  institutions  and  orders  that 
sprang  up  within  the  Church.  The  Church  with  her  insti- 
tutions and  orders  stood  between  the  giver  and  the  recipient. 
The  Church  took  and  the  Church  gave.  Congregational 
and  individual  benevolence  had  become  a  thing  of  the  past. 
Retirement  from  the  world  was  looked  upon  as  the  only  way 
in  which  to  reach  a  high  standard  of  Christian  living,  yet 
"  too  frequently  the  cloisters  became  the  seats  of  dissolute- 
ness, debauchery,  idleness,  crimes,  and  unnatural  vices/'1 
especially  so  towards  the  close  of  this  period.  The  diaconate 

1  KURTZ:  Church  History.    American  ed.    Vol.  i,  p.  472, 


IN  THE  MEDIAEVAL  CHURCH  45 

ceased  to  be  a  ministry  of  mercy — the  deacons  becoming 
a  sub-order  of  the  clergy  to  serve  at  the  altar,  the  deaconesses 
turning  into  nuns.  The  doctrine  of  merit  by  good  works  was 
now  fully  established  and  became  the  chief  impelling  motive 
in  the  work  of  mercy.  The  possession  of  property  was  re- 
garded as  an  incumbrance  and  temptation,  and  its  devotion 
to  the  Church  as  a  work  of  extraordinary  sanctity  on  the  part 
of  the  giver.  To  beg  was  looked  upon  as  a  virtue,  inasmuch 
as  it  afforded  an  opportunity  to  bestow  alms  as  a  work  of 
expiation.  Thus  charity  became  essentially  selfish  and 
degenerated  into  almsgiving  for  the  benefit  of  the  one  who 
gave.  The  result,  on  the  one  hand,  was  a  most  marvelous 
growth  in  the  number  and  wealth  of  institutions  and 
orders,  and,  on  the  other,  a  constantly  growing  army  of 
mendicants. 

Every  monastery  now  had  a  hospital,  but  not  in  the  modern 
sense.  This  consisted  of  an  infirmary  for  the  monks,  nuns, 
and  other  inmates  of  the  cloister,  in  which  these  were  nursed 
when  sick,  and  from  which  a  certain  amount  of  relief  for  the 
sick  went  out  into  the  neighborhood;  a  hospice  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  the  better  class  of  travelers  and  strangers,  such  as 
priests,  monks,  messengers,  etc. ;  and  the  hospitale  pauperum, 
or  shelter  for  the  poor,  in  which  paupers  and  needy  ones  of 
every  kind  found  relief.  For  lepers  there  were  special 
hospitals,  leprosy  having  been  introduced  into  Europe  and 
widely  disseminated  through  the  Crusades;  and  the  number 
of  such  hospitals  it  is  said  at  one  time  reached  19,000.  When 
toward  the  close  of  the  Middle  Ages  a  reaction  set  in  against 
the  abuses  which  had  grown  up,  numerous  municipal  hospi- 
tals also  began  to  be  established,  altogether  disassociated 
from  Church  control. 

Hospitallers,  or  Hospital  Brethren,  "  is  the  common  name 
of  all  those  associations  of  laymen,  monks,  canons,  and 
knights  which  devoted  themselves  to  nursing  the  sick  and  the 
poor  in  the  hospitals,  while  at  the  same  time  observing  certain 
monastic  practices."1  Some  of  these  orders,  like  the  Knights 

1  SCHAFF-HERZOG  :  Encyclopedia.     First  ed.     Vol.  ii,  p.  1025. 


46       PRELIMINARY  HISTORY  OF   THE  INNER  MISSION 

of  St.  John  and  the  Teutonic  Knights,  combined  the  pro- 
fession of  monasticism  with  knighthood,  and  originated  with 
the  Crusades.  "  There  were  also  hospital  sisters;  and  the 
female  associations  originating  in  the  twelfth  century 
achieved  a  still  greater  success  than  the  male  ones.  They 
united  to  the  duty  of  nursing  the  sick  and  the  poor  also  that 
of  educating  young  girls,  especially  orphans,  and  rescuing 
fallen  women." *  The  Beghards  and  Beguines  and  the 
Brethren  and  Sisters  of  the  Common  Life  were  associations 
or  communities  the  members  of  which  were  not  under  any 
monastic  constraint,  but  who  voluntarily  agreed  to  retire 
from  the  world  that  they  might  devote  themselves  more  fully 
to  their  own  spiritual  advancement  and  to  labors  of  Christian 
love.  It  was  a  special  characteristic  of  the  Brethren  and 
Sisters  of  the  Common  Life  that  they  condemned  begging, 
placed  a  high  estimate  on  work,  and  concerned  themselves 
about  the  spiritual  as  well  as  the  temporal  well-being  of  those 
to  whom  they  ministered.  Of  individuals  who  during  the 
Middle  Ages  by  precept  and  example  greatly  encouraged  and 
aided  the  work  of  mercy  should  be  mentioned  the  Emperor 
Charlemagne  (742-814);  St.  Francis  of  Assisi  (1182-1226); 
and  St.  Elizabeth  (1207-1231),  the  wife  of  Ludwig,  Land- 
grave of  Thuringia. 

Through  her  many  institutions  and  orders  the  Church 
of  the  Middle  Ages  unquestionably  relieved  a  vast  amount 
of  human  misery,  in  many  cases  too  with  a  measure  of  self- 
sacrifice  that  must  call  forth  our  admiration.  But  the  same 
ecclesiastical  influence  that  originated  these  agencies  and 
made  them  great  was  also  responsible  for  their  degeneration. 
Besides  the  change  hi  motives  growing  out  of  increasing 
corruption  in  doctrine,  the  Church  had  totally  lost  the  finely 
devised  congregational  system  of  dispensing  charity  to 
which  the  Christians  of  the  first  centuries  were  accustomed. 
Institutions  and  orders  were  now  the  almoners,  but  in  a 
detached  and  indiscriminate  way,  without  coordination  and 
investigation.  And  as  they  became  richer  and  more  worldly 
1  SCHAFF-HERZOG  :  Encyclopaedia.  First  ed.  Vol.  ii,  p.  1025. 


IN   THE  REFORMATION   ERA  AND  BEYOND  47 

they  also  became  increasingly  powerless  to  deal  intelligently 
and  effectively  with  a  problem  whose  solution  requires  the 
largest  measure  of  sanctified  wisdom. 

C.  In  the  Reformation  Era  and  Beyond 

In  accordance  with  its  formal  principle  that  the  Holy 
Scriptures  are  the  only  infallible  source  and  rule  of  faith  and 
practice,  the  Reformation  again  assigned  to  preaching, 
which  during  the  Middle  Ages  had  occupied  a  very  subordin- 
ate place  in  public  worship,  the  place,  importance,  and  func- 
tion that  it  had  in  the  Early  Church.  "  Infinitely  much 
did  the  Reformation  owe  to  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel; 
without  this  it  would  never  have  been  begun,  or  if  begun, 
not  have  been  carried  to  completion."  * 

Luther  himself  was  the  great  preacher  of  the  Reformation. 
His  preaching  "  introduced  and  long  gave  a  tone  to  a  new 
era,  while  at  the  same  time  it  kindled  new  light  and  life  in 
the  souls  of  individuals,  and  poured  into  the  minds  of  the 
desponding  the  consolations  of  Divine  grace." 2  Luther  had 
learned  from  the  Scriptures  and  experienced  in  his  own  heart 
that  man  is  saved  by  grace,  through  faith,  solely  on  the  ground 
of  the  all-sufficient  merits  of  Christ;  and  that  the  sinner  in 
seeking  salvation  through  Christ,  and  union  with  Him,  can 
have  direct  access  to  the  throne  of  grace,  without  priestly  and 
saintly  intercession.  To  set  forth  these  great  fundamental 
truths  of  the  Gospel  was  in  his  mind  the  chief  business  of  the 
Church's  ministry.  Nor  was  only  the  ministry  to  do  so. 
That  the  laity  might  read  and  learn  for  themselves  he  gave 
them  the  Bible  in  the  vernacular.  That  they  might  further- 
more have  a  handy  and  simple  compendium  of  Scripture 
truth  he  prepared  his  Small  Catechism.  And  that  no  one 
might  remain  ignorant  of  the  truth  which  saves,  he  was  will- 
ing under  very  extraordinary  circumstances  even  to  permit  a 
layman  to  preach  (p.  114). 

1  VAN  OOSTERZEE:  Practical  Theology,  p.  114. 

2  LUTHARDT:  The  Saving  Truths  of  Christianity,  p.  269. 


48       PRELIMINARY  HISTORY  OF  THE  INNER  MISSION 

We  have  already  seen  that  with  the  corruption  in  doctrine 
during  the  Middle  Ages  had  also  come  a  corresponding 
degeneration  in  the  work  of  mercy.  The  very  foundation 
upon  which  it  rested  had  become  a  false  one.  Righteousness 
by  works  was  its  chief  inspiration.  Its  exercise  had  become 
a  business  for  personal  spiritual  advantage;  gifts  to  the 
Church  for  charitable  purposes  were  "  merely  a  method  of 
securing  a  satisfactory  balance  on  the  books  of  the  recording 
angel,  a  way  of  getting  out  of  purgatory  or  of  getting  others 
out";1  and  the  huge  funds  thus  given  and  bestowed,  instead 
of  substantially  improving  conditions,  only  helped  to  foster 
indolence,  imposture,  and  pauperism. 

As  in  matters  of  faith,  so  in  the  domain  of  mercy,  the 
Reformers,  therefore,  found  it  necessary  to  lay  a  new  founda- 
tion; and  that  foundation  was  none  other  than  the  old  one — 
the  New  Testament  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith.  Men 
had  to  be  taught  again  that  faith  is  the  appropriation  of  the 
merit  of  Christ;  that  only  such  faith  saves;  that  genuine 
brotherly  love  is  found  only  where  this  faith  is  found;  that 
all  good  works  are  but  the  fruit  of  this  faith  and  not  in  them- 
selves meritorious;  that  poverty  does  not  commend  one  to 
God;  that  begging  is  not  a  virtue;  and  that  Christian  service 
does  not  consist  in  retirement  from  the  world,  but  in  being 
faithful  stewards  of  the  manifold  gifts  of  God  in  whatever 
station  of  life  one  may  find  himself. 

For  the  practical  application  of  these  principles  many  of 
the  Church  Orders  gave  special  directions.  To  do  away  as 
much  as  possible  with  begging  and  indiscriminate  giving 
they  provided  that  all  gifts,  legacies,  offerings,  etc.,  for 
benevolent  purposes  were  to  flow  into  a  common  treasury, 
to  be  jointly  administered  by  the  ecclesiastical  and  civil 
authorities.  In  accordance  with  Acts  6  those  chosen  to  do 
so  were  to  be  men  "  of  honest  report,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  wisdom  " — chiefly  laymen,  who  were  to  meet  regularly, 
investigate  carefully,  and  extend  aid  only  where  actually 
needed.  Parents  who  sent  their  children  out  to  beg  were 

1  WARNER:  American  Charities,  p.  8. 


IN  THE  REFORMATION  ERA  AND  BEYOND  49 

to  be  punished,  orphans  and  neglected  children  were  to  be 
cared  for,  the  sick  in  hospitals  and  infirmaries  visited,  the 
poor  relieved  as  long  as  necessary,  and  various  other  chari- 
table offices  performed.1  Thus  an  effort  was  made  to  return 
again,  to  an  extent  at  least,  to  the  practice  of  the  Early 
Church,  or,  in  other  words,  to  restore  Gemeindepflege  (p.  36). 
But  pure  congregational  charity  in  its  primitive  sense  could 
not  again  be  fully  realized,  owing  partly  to  the  fact  that  in 
the  administration  of  charity,  as  in  other  things,  the  func- 
tions of  Church  and  State  were  not  strictly  kept  apart; 
and  perhaps  still  more  because  properly  qualified  persons  for 
such  work  could  not  always  be  had.  Luther  himself  greatly 
desired  the  restoration  of  the  primitive  diaconate  as  a  ministry 
of  mercy  and  the  helping  hand  of  the  pastoral  office.  "  It 
were  well,"  he  said,  "if  we  had  the  right  kind  of  people  to 
begin  with,  to  divide  a  city  into  four  or  five  districts,  and  to 
assign  to  each  district  a  pastor  and  several  deacons,  who 
would  supply  it  with  preaching,  distribute  alms,  visit  the 
sick,  and  see  to  it  that  no  one  suffered  want.  But  we  do  not 
have  the  persons  for  it.  I  therefore  fear  to  undertake  it 
until  our  Lord  God  shall  make  Christians."  Here  there  was 
a  want  which  only  the  last  century  began  to  supply  (pp. 
91-97).  Meanwhile  the  administration  of  charity  passed 
largely  into  the  hands  of  the  State. 

It  was  different  in  the  Reformed  churches  of  France,  the 
Netherlands,  and  the  Lower  Rhine.  These  established  a 
well-organized  parish  diaconate,  and  employed  deacons  and 
deaconesses  in  numerous  forms  of  charitable  work.  In  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  Vincent  de  Paul  (1576-1660)  in 
1634  founded  the  now  extensive  and  active  order  of  Sisters 
of  Charity,  These  are  not  nuns.  After  a  novitiate  of  five 
years  they  take  a  vow  which  binds  them  only  for  a  year,  and 
is  annually  renewed.  The  spirit  of  their  remarkably  liberal 
discipline  is  indicated  in  the  words  of  the  founder:  "Your 
convent  must  be  the  house  of  the  sick;  your  cell,  the  chamber 

1  As  an  illustration  see  the  Wurttemberger  Kastenordnung  of  1536,  in  RlCH- 
TER:  Die  Evangdischen  Kirchenordnungen.  Vol.  i,  p.  261. 


50       PRELIMINARY   HISTORY   OF  THE  INNER  MISSION 

of  suffering;  your  chapel,  the  parish  church;  your  cloister, 
the  streets  of  the  city  or  the  wards  of  the  hospital;  your 
rule,  the  general  vow  of  obedience;  your  grille,  the  fear  of 
God;  your  veil,  to  shut  out  the  world,  holy  modesty."  Vin- 
cent de  Paul  also  established  the  order  of  Mission  Priests 
(Lazarists),  who  traveled  over  the  country  ministering  to 
the  souls  and  bodies  of  men. 

In  the  Protestant  Church  of  Germany  the  first  half  of  the 
seventeenth  century  was  altogether  unfavorable  to  the 
development  of  even  a  fair  measure  of  activity  in  the  field 
of  practical  Christianity.  A  highly  scholastic  theology 
had  to  a  great  extent  externalized  religion,  and  the  Thirty 
Years'  War  had  devastated  the  country  not  only  physically, 
but  spiritually  and  morally  as  well.  A  change  came  with  the 
rise  of  Pietism.  Its  leaders,  Philip  Jacob  Spener  (1635- 
1705)  and  August  Hermann  Francke  (1663-1727),  while 
professing  entire  harmony  with  the  doctrines  maintained 
in  the  Lutheran  Confessions,  insisted  on  more  than  a  mere 
intellectual  apprehension  of  these  as  a  correct  exhibit  of 
revealed  truth.  They  would  have  these  doctrines  so 
received  and  applied  as  to  result  in  genuine  piety.  As 
the  Reformation  protested  against  Romish  externalism  and 
self-righteousness,  restored  the  life-giving  Gospel,  and  re- 
vived again  the  thought  of  an  active,  participating  congre- 
gation of  living  believers,  so  the  movement  promoted  by 
Spener  and  Francke  was  the  reaction  against  ossified  or- 
thodoxy and  a  lifeless  acceptance  of  Gospel  truth,  and  laid 
special  stress  on  the  spiritual  renewal  of  the  individual. 
The  latter,  however,  in  the  end  proved  to  be  the  weakness 
of  Pietism.  While  the  design  in  the  beginning  was  to  revive 
an  entire  congregation  by  reviving  its  component  parts — 
an  undertaking  which,  if  consistently  carried  out,  could  only 
have  resulted  in  the  highest  good,  the  later  Pietism,  as  it 
became  increasingly  subjective  and  exclusive,  completely 
lost  sight  of  the  congregation  and  the  Church  as  such,  gath- 
ered its  adherents  together  for  worship  and  the  study  of  the 
Scriptures  in  small  private  assemblies  (conventicles),  grew 


IN  THE  REFORMATION  ERA  AND  BEYOND      51 

indifferent  towards  purity  of  doctrine,  and  fell  into  many 
extravagances  both  in  speech  and  life.  Thus  Pietism  in  the 
end  fostered  narrowness  and  spiritual  pride,  became  a 
nursery  of  fanaticism  and  sectarianism,  failed  to  affect  the 
Church  and  society  as  a  whole,  and  by  its  intense  subjectivism 
prepared  the  way  for  Rationalism. 

And  yet  hi  its  earlier  and  purer  form  it  revived  and  set 
in  motion  forces  that  even  Rationalism  could  not  destroy, 
and  that  make  themselves  felt  the  world  over  to  this  very 
day.  It  emphasized  the  necessity  of  a  living  faith,  labored  to 
promote  personal  piety,  laid  renewed  stress  on  the  doctrine 
of  the  universal  priesthood  of  believers,  and  demanded  that 
all  who  call  themselves  the  children  of  God  should  manifest 
their  faith  by  their  love.  It  was  this  "  faith  which  worketh 
by  love  "  that  gave  birth  to  the  Francke  Institutions  at 
Halle  (p.  146),  and  made  these  a  center  of  manifold  and 
widespread  Christian  activities.  "  The  students,  teachers, 
and  inspectors  from  these  schools,  as  well  as  those  who 
attended  the  university,  proceeded  from  Halle  in  all  direc- 
tions, to  diffuse  the  spirit  they  had  acquired  there.  In  1705 
Ziegenbalg  and  Pliitschau  went  forth  as  the  pioneer  mis- 
sionaries to  India,  to  be  followed  by  others  from  Halle, 
greatest  of  whom  were  Schultze  and  Christian  Frederick 
Schwartz  (1726-1798).  Callenberg  became  active  in  efforts 
to  convert  the  Jews  and  Mohammedans.  Zinzendorf  in- 
spired the  Moravians  with  the  zeal  which  was  enkindled  at 
Halle,  hi  which  he  was  ably  supported  by  Bishop  Spangen- 
berg,  also  from  Halle.  Encouraged  by  Francke,  his  friend, 
Baron  von  Canstein,  founded  his  Bible  Institution  at  Halle 
in  1712,  the  forerunner  by  nearly  a  century  of  the  Bible 
societies  of  later  times.  Halle  sent  its  alumni  to  England, 
who,  as  pastors  in  the  Royal  Chapel  and  other  Lutheran 
churches,  exerted  a  wide  influence  upon  the  House  of  Hanover, 
that  had  succeeded  to  the  English  throne,  and  were  promi- 
nent agents  in  many  important  Christian  enterprises.  From 
Halle,  Boltzius  and  Gronau  went  to  Georgia,  and  Muhlen- 
berg,  with  a  large  number  who  followed  him,  to  Pennsylvania. 


52       PRELIMINARY   HISTORY  OF  THE  INNER  MISSION 

From  the  printing  establishment  in  the  Halle  institutions 
were  issued  those  full  reports  of  the  missions,  both  in  India 
and  in  America,  so  highly  prized,  even  to-day,  for  their  full 
accounts  of  the  humble  efforts  made  by  heroic  men  to  carry 
the  knowledge  of  God  to  the  ends  of  the  earth."1 

To  Baron  von  Canstein  (1667-1719),  mentioned  above, 
belongs  the  credit  of  first  having  devised  a  plan  for  supply- 
ing the  poor  with  the  Scriptures  at  a  nominal  price.  In 
Berlin  he  became  acquainted  with  Spener,  whose  influence 
on  his  future  life  was  decisive,  and  who  brought  him  into 
intimate  relations  with  Francke  and  his  institutions.  In 
1710  he  issued  a  small  publication  in  which  he  undertook  to 
show  that  by  printing  from  types  which  were  kept  standing 
the  New  Testament  could  be  sold  for  two  groschen  (about 
five  cents),  and  the  entire  Bible  for  six.  To  actualize  this 
plan  he  himself  provided  the  capital,  partly  out  of  his  own 
means  and  partly  by  collections.  In  1712  the  first  edition 
of  the  New  Testament  appeared  in  an  issue  of  5000  copies, 
and  in  the  following  year  the  entire  Bible.  Since  then  the 
Canstein  Bible  Institution  has  published  and  circulated  over 
seven  million  Bibles  and  New  Testaments. 

Pietism  had  a  special  fondness  for  the  institutional  form 
of  work,  particularly  so  with  children.  The  Francke  Insti- 
tutions became  the  embodiment  of  this  idea,  and  orphans' 
homes  patterned  after  the  one  at  Halle  sprang  into  existence 
in  all  parts  of  Germany.  But  the  narrowness  which  charac- 
terized Pietism  in  many  other  respects  also  made  itself  felt 
even  with  children.  Though  in  their  instruction  much 
attention  was  given  to  secular  and  practical  branches,  the 
constant  introspection  to  which  the  children  were  admon- 
ished, the  free  prayers  they  were  asked  to  offer,  the  unending 
religious  exercises  in  which  they  were  obliged  to  participate, 
the  close  supervision  to  which  they  were  subjected,  and  the 
want  of  innocent  recreation,  all  tended  to  produce  an  un- 
healthy, hot-house  species  of  piety.  Thus  Francke,  in  his 
concern  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  his  orphans,  would  not 
1  JACOBS:  American  Church  History  Series.  Vol.  iv,  pp.  138,  139. 


IN  THE  REFORMATION  ERA  AND  BEYOND      53 

even  permit  them  to  play  ball;  and  at  their  one  so-called 
"  recreation  hour  "  a  week,  a  few  hymns  were  sung,  prayer 
was  offered,  the  Gospel  or  Epistle  for  the  following  Sunday 
was  explained,  and  in  conclusion  the  children  were  treated 
to  rolls  and  fruit!  But,  as  we  shall  see  later,  such  a  miscon- 
ception of  the  child-nature  and  its  requirements  was  soon 
bound  to  give  way  to  a  better  understanding  and  more  in- 
telligent methods. 

Whatever  other  forces  Pietism  in  its  purest  form  may  have 
started,  it  can  nevertheless  hardly  be  regarded  as  the  real 
source  of  the  Inner  Mission  of  the  last  century,  as  is  some- 
times claimed.  For  this  contention  Wurster  assigns  the  fol- 
lowing reasons:1 

1.  Pietism  had  a  one-sided,  false,  ascetic  conception  of 
the  relation  between  Christianity  and  the  world.    In  its  genuine 
form  it  regarded  civil  and  political  life,  art,  and  the  like  as 
spheres  in  which  those  who  would  be  truly  godly  can  have  no 
interest,  inasmuch  as  contact  with  them  is  calculated  to 
hinder  rather  than  to  promote  piety.     Such  one-sidedness 
could  not  fail  to  make  its  unfavorable  influence  felt,  espe- 
cially so  in  the  work  of  education   (Erziehungsthatigkeit} , 
and  thus  retard  the  development  of  a  system  of  popular 
education  on  a  Christian  basis. 

2.  In  proportion  as  it  made  private  edification  in  small 
circles  and  personal  certitude  of  salvation  its  aim,  it  failed 
to  regard  the  entire  Christian  congregation  as  the  object  and 
still  more  as  the  subject  of  love's  labors.    The  circles  which 
supported  the  charitable  work  of  Pietism  were  too  narrow. 

3.  The   chief  thought  of  Pietism  was   the   ecclesiola  in 
ecclesia,  not  the  Church  of  the  populace,  the  coetus  wcatorum. 
The  conversion  of  the  individual  was  the  purpose  of  Francke's 
methods;  and  though  Spener,  through  his  collegia  pietatis, 
aimed  to  vitalize   the  congregation  and  the  community  at 
large,  the  movement  nevertheless  remained  confined  to  the 
conventicle  system. 

1  Die  Lehre  von  der  Inneren  Mission,  pp.  18,  19. 


54  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 

II.  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 
A.  Its  Immediate  Antecedents 

The  beginnings  of  the  Inner  Mission  movement  in  its 
modern  form  may  be  traced  to  the  latter  part  of  the  eight- 
eenth and  the  first  part  of  the  nineteenth  centuries.  The 
condition  of  Germany  during  this  period  was  deplorable  in 
the  extreme.  Politically  it  was  a  dismembered  country; 
economically  it  had  been  desolated  by  the  Napoleonic  wars 
which  everywhere  left  physical  misery  and  destitution  in 
their  wake;  socially  it  was  beginning  to  undergo  those  changes 
for  the  worse  which  the  rapid  accumulation  and  congestion 
of  population  in  the  cities  is  always  sure  to  bring  about; 
while  religiously  all  classes  felt  the  influence  of  the  then 
dominant  Rationalism.  Nevertheless  here  and  there  were 
found  those  who  still  cherished  the  old  faith,  and  who  gave 
evidence  of  its  transforming  power  in  their  lives.  To  bring 
these  into  union  of  effort  against  the  reigning  unbelief,  and 
to  provide  an  agency  for  combating  ills  with  which  society  and 
the  Church  as  then  constituted  found  themselves  unable  to 
cope — this  was  the  thought  in  the  mind  of  JOHANN  AUGUST 
URLSPERGER  (Nov.  25,  iy28-Dec.  i,  1806),  pastor  at  Augs- 
burg. Relinquishing  his  pastorate  in  1 7 76,  and  first  traveling 
over  England,  Holland,  Germany  and  Switzerland  in  the  in- 
terest of  a  common  movement,  he  effected  the  organization  of 
the  Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Pure  Doctrine  and  Genuine 
Piety  at  Basel,  in  1780,  later  known  as  the  Christianity 
Society.  This  was  patterned  after  the  Society  for  Promoting 
Christian  Knowledge  (1698)  in  England,  and  a  similar  society 
in  Sweden.  Branch  societies  were  formed  in  various  centers, 
and  in  1784  a  periodical  was  begun  (Sammlungen  filr  Lieb- 
haber  christlicher  Wahrheit  und  Gottseligkeit) ,  which  be- 
came the  organ  of  the  society.  Though  it  was  Urlsperger's 
original  intention  by  means  of  lectures,  publications,  etc., 
of  an  apologetic  character  to  make  the  society  chiefly  a 


ITS  IMMEDIATE  ANTECEDENTS  55 

defender  of  the  faith,  it  gradually  turned  its  efforts  more 
towards  missionary  and  philanthropic  work.  Out  of  it  grew 
the  Basel  Bible  Society  (1804),  the  Basel  Missionary  Society 
(1815),  the  institution  for  neglected  children  at  Beuggen 
(1820),  the  deaf  and  dumb  asylum  at  Riehen  (1838),  and 
other  enterprises  in  and  about  Basel,  in  the  creation  of 
which  CHRISTIAN  FRIEDRICH  SPITTLER  (April  12,  1782-Dec. 
8,  1867),  for  many  years  secretary  of  the  society,  was  espe- 
cially active. 

About  this  time  other  movements  also  began  to  take  shape. 
To  combat  Rationalism  and  nourish  faith,  provision  was 
made  to  give  the  printed  Word  the  widest  possible  circula- 
tion, and  in  addition  to  the  already  existing  Canstein  Bible 
Institution  and  the  Basel  Society,  a  whole  series  of  Bible 
societies  was  organized,  all  of  which  have  been  active  ever 
since.  Thus  the  Wurttemberg,  1812;  Prussian,  1814;  Saxon, 
1814;  Bergische,  1815;  Schleswig-Holstein,  1815 — until  1830 
a  total  of  31. 

Following  the  example  of  England,  tract  societies  for  the 
dissemination  of  Christian  literature  in  cheap,  popular  form 
were  founded.  From  1811  to  1833  five  such  came  into  ex- 
istence (North  German,  1811;  Wupperthal,  1814;  Prussian, 
1814;  Lower  Saxon,  1820;  Calwer,  1833),  to  which  have  since 
been  added  other  agencies  having  the  same  object  in  view. 

During  this  period  work  in  behalf  of  neglected,  dependent 
and  delinquent  children  also  began  to  receive  considerable 
attention  (pp.  144,  167);  the  Kleinkinderschule  (p.  136) 
had  its  inception;  the  work  of  diaspora  missions  had  its  first 
representative;  new  experiments  in  poor  relief  were  attempted; 
the  first  great  improvements  in  the  treatment  and  care  of 
prisoners  and  discharged  convicts  were  made;  the  sick  and 
defective  awakened  more  sympathetic  interest;  the  city 
mission  was  instituted;  and  lay  preaching  here  and  there 
again  came  into  vogue. 

Among  those  who,  besides  Urlsperger  and  Spittler, 
figured  conspicuously  in  these  different  forms  of  work  were 
the  following: 


56  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN   FORM 

JOHANN  TOBIAS  KIESSLING  (Nov.  3,  i743-Feb.  27, 1824), 
a  merchant  of  Nuremberg.  Twice  a  year  during  half  a 
century  he  was  obliged  to  make  business  trips  into  Austria. 
Here  he  learned  to  know  the  spiritual  destitution  of  his 
brethren  in  the  faith,  scattered  as  they  were  among  Roman 
Catholics;  and  he  determined  to  relieve  them  to  the  extent 
of  his  ability.  On  his  visits  he  personally  ministered  to  them 
in  spiritual  things,  and  during  the  rest  of  the  year,  besides 
contributing  liberally  himself,  he  gathered  large  sums  of 
money  from  his  business  friends  and  from  his  associates  in 
the  Christianity  Society,  with  which  to  build  churches, 
school-houses,  and  parsonages.  In  addition  he  was  also 
active  in  securing  efficient  pastors  for  the  scattered  sheep, 
aided  Austrian  students  for  the  ministry,  and  made  liberal 
donations  of  Bibles  and  devotional  literature.  In  all  these 
operations  he  thus  became  a  forerunner  of  the  Gustav- 
Adolf  Society  (p.  156). 

JOHANN  HEINRICH  PESTALOZZI  (Jan.  12,  iy46-Feb.  17, 
1827),  the  reformer  of  modern  pedagogy,  was  the  son  of  a 
physician  at  Zurich.  He  first  studied  theology,  then  juris- 
prudence, but  as  neither  appealed  to  him  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  educational  and  philanthropic  work.  The  former 
brought  him  eminence;  in  the  latter  he  failed,  having,  as  he 
himself  said,  an  "  incomparable  incapacity  for  organiza- 
tion." In  1775  he  opened  a  species  of  poor  school  at  Neuhof, 
in  which  the  children  maintained  themselves  by  manual 
labor  between  the  hours  of  instruction.  Educationally 
this  was  a  great  success,  but  as  the  school  could  not  be  made 
self-supporting  Pestalozzi  was  obliged  to  close  it  in  1780. 
He  then  devoted  himself  for  eight  years  to  literature,  and 
attracted  much  attention  by  his  writings.  In  1798  he  made 
another  institutional  experiment.  Into  a  deserted  convent 
at  Stanz  he  gathered  eighty  children  who  had  been  orphaned 
through  the  French  invasion  of  Switzerland,  and  who,  it  is 
said,  "  after  the  lapse  of  a  few  months,  looked  physically, 
intellectually,  and  morally  as  if  they  had  gone  through  a 
transformation  mill."  Here  Pestalozzi  found  opportunity 


ITS  IMMEDIATE  ANTECEDENTS  57 

for  the  exercise  of  his  intense  love.  He  was  everything  to 
the  children — father,  teacher,  and  servant;  but  in  1799 
the  French  put  an  end  to  the  institution  by  taking 
possession  of  the  place  for  hospital  purposes.  Pestalozzi 
then  became  a  teacher  at  Burgdorf,  and  here  he  opened  a 
school  of  his  own  in  1800.  Five  years  later  he  removed  it  to 
Yverdon  on  the  Lake  of  Neufchatel,  where,  during  the  next 
ten  years,  it  served  to  establish  Pestalozzi's  reputation  as  an 
educator.  But  his  lack  of  administrative  talent,  dissensions 
among  his  teachers,  and  other  causes  compelled  him  to  close 
the  school  in  1825.  The  great  idea  which  lay  at  the  basis  of 
Pestalozzi's  method  -of  intellectual  instruction  was  that 
"  nothing  should  be  treated  of  except  in  a  concrete  way. 
Objects  themselves  became  in  his  hands  the  subject  of 
lessons  tending  to  the  development  of  the  observing  and 
reasoning  powers — not  lessons  about  objects."  With  this 
he  sought  to  combine  moral  and  religious  training;  but  as 
he  was  a  naturalist  in  religion,  though  not  opposed  to  Chris- 
tianity, his  work  in  this  respect  was  a  failure.  When  toward 
the  close  of  his  life  he  visited  Zeller's  institution  at  Beuggen, 
and  there  saw  what  living  faith  and  specifically  Christian 
training  were  accomplishing,  he  exclaimed:  "This  is  what 
I  wanted  to  bring  about." 

CHRISTIAN  HEINRICH  ZELLER  (March  29,  i799~May  18, 
1860),  by  birth  a  Wiirttemberger,  likewise  studied  jurispru- 
dence, but  became  a  private  tutor,  and  subsequently  a  school 
principal  and  inspector.  In  1820  he  was  called  to  the  super- 
intendency  of  the  newly-established  child-saving  institution 
at  Beuggen,  near  Basel,  where,  on  his  coming,  this  inscrip- 
tion greeted  him:  "  Welcome,  brother;  build  the  institution 
upon  the  foundation  of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  Jesus 
Christ  Himself  being  the  chief  corner  stone."  This  program 
he  actualized  with  distinguished  success  during  the  forty 
years  he  remained  with  the  institution.  Though  deeply  in- 
terested in  other  departments  of  Christian  work,  he  esteemed 
it  his  duty  to  give  himself  with  unwearied  diligence  to  his 
own  particular  sphere  of  labor.  And  he  did  so  with  such 


58  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 

genuine  simplicity  that  Professor  Auberlen  said  at  his  funeral: 
"  His  greatness  consisted  in  this,  that  he  remained  humble." 

JOHANN  FRIEDRICH  O BERLIN  (Aug.  31, 1740- June  i,  1826) 
was  one  of  the  first  to  demonstrate  how  the  spiritual  and 
temporal  welfare  of  people  can  be  simultaneously  promoted. 
In  1767,  several  years  after  graduating  from  the  University 
of  Strassburg,  he  was  appointed  pastor  at  Waldbach  in  the 
Steinthal,  a  barren  tract  on  the  borders  of  Alsace  and  Lorraine. 
Here  he  found  a  densely  ignorant  and  wretchedly  poor 
people.  He  at  once  set  himself  to  work  to  improve  their 
condition.  Besides  preaching  the  Gospel  most  effectively, 
"he  built  school-houses,  introduced  improved  methods  of 
agriculture,  went  at  the  head  of  the  people  with  spade  and 
hoe  to  build  roads  and  erect  bridges,  established  stores, 
savings  banks,  and  agricultural  associations  for  the  distri- 
bution of  prizes,  induced  the  heads  of  factories  to  remove  to 
the  Steinthal,  etc.  Liberal  himself,  he  was  very  successful 
in  exciting  the  liberality  of  others  for  his  enterprises,  even 
beyond  the  limits  of  his  own  parish.  In  the  pulpit  and  as  a 
pastor  his  influence  was  patriarchal.  His  sermons  were 
distinguished  by  unbounded  sympathy  for  the  needs  of  his 
hearers,  and  simplicity." 1  The  twofold  result  of  such  labors 
was  that  the  Steinthal  "  began  to  blossom  as  the  rose,"  and  its 
people  were  raised  from  semi-barbarism  to  a  high  plane  of 
Christian  living;  nor  has  its  prosperity  suffered  interruption 
since  Oberlin's  death.  Oberlin  was  also  the  originator  of  the 
Kleinkinderschule  (p.  136). 

JOHANNES  FALK  (Oct.  28,  i768-Feb.  14, 1826),  of  Danzig, 
studied  theology  for  a  time,  then  turned  to  literature,  and 
settled  at  Weimar.  Moved  by  the  distress  occasioned  by  the 
Napoleonic  wars  he  founded  the  Society  of  Friends  in  Need, 
and  began  his  "Lutherhof "  at  Weimar  (1821)  for  orphaned 
and  neglected  children.  In  both  undertakings  Falk  was  in- 
spired by  genuine  missionary  zeal.  "  We  would  save  souls 
and  convert  the  heathen,  not  in  Asia  and  Africa,  but  in  our 
own  midst,"  he  wrote.  And  again:  "  In  the  pursuit  of  this 

ISCHAFF-HERZOG:  Encyclopedia,  ist  ed.    Vol.  iii. 


ITS  IMMEDIATE  ANTECEDENTS  59 

object  we  forge  all  our  chains  from  within."  In  his  dealings 
with  children  he  had  no  use  for  locks  and  bolts.  The  love 
born  of  faith  was  his  all-conquering  power;  and  the  results 
he  achieved  were  the  sufficient  justification  of  this  principle. 

COUNT  ADELBERT  VON  DER  RECKE-VOLMARSTEIN  (May 
28,  i79i-Nov.  10, 1878),  likewise  deeply  moved  by  the  miseries 
Which  the  Napoleonic  wars  entailed,  founded  the  institution 
for  children  at  Overdyk,  Westphalia.  When  the  quarters 
at  this  place  became  too  contracted,  he  purchased  the  Trap- 
pist  Monastery  Diissethal,  near  Dusseldorf,  whose  massive 
buildings  and  extensive  grounds  offered  superior  advantages. 
After  twenty-five  years  of  service,  during  which  he  was 
faithfully  aided  by  his  wife,  broken  health  compelled  him  to 
retire  to  his  estate  in  Kraschnitz,  where,  at  the  age  of  seventy, 
he  founded  the  deaconess  house,  and  a  large  institution  for 
the  feeble-minded  and  epileptic. 

BARON  VON  KOTTWITZ  (Sept.  2,  i757~May  13, 1843),  born 
in  Silesia,  was  in  his  youth  a  page  of  Frederick  the  Great,  and 
later  an  army  officer  and  a  man  of  the  world.  By  association 
with  the  Moravians  he  became  interested  in  the  things  that 
are  spiritual  and  eternal,  and  thenceforth  lived  and  labored 
for  others.  In  1806,  when  there  was  much  distress  among  the 
laboring  classes,  he  gathered  hundreds  of  men  into  some 
unused  barracks  at  Berlin,  provided  work  and  bread  for 
them,  and  at  the  same  time  brought  them  the  Word  and  Bread 
of  Life.  For  ten  years  he  lived  among  them  as  a  preacher  of 
righteousness  in  word  and  act.  Even  when  the  city  relieved 
him  of  their  care  he  did  not  forsake  them,  but  until  the  day 
of  his  death  remained  with  those  for  whom  he  had  lived  and 
labored  so  long.  In  the  circle  in  which  von  Kottwitz  other- 
wise moved  were  men  like  Tholuck,  Otto  von  Gerlach, 
Neander,  Stier,  and  Wichern,  upon  all  of  whom  his  conse- 
crated personality  exercised  a  profound  influence.  His 
deeply  religious  nature  is  illustrated  by  a  conversation  he  once 
had  with  Fichte,  the  philosopher.  The  latter  had  said: 
"  The  child  prays,  but  the  man  wills."  To  this  von  Kott- 
witz replied:  "  Professor,  I  have  six  hundred  men  dependent 


60  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 

on  me  for  bread,  and  when  I  do  not  know  where  to  get  it,  the 
only  thing  I  can  do  is  to  pray."  For  a  moment  Fichte  was 
speechless,  and  then,  with  tear-moistened  cheeks,  he  an- 
swered: "  Yes,  dear  Baron,  my  philosophy  does  not  reach  that 
far." 

AMALIE  SIEVE  KING  (July  25,  i794~April  i,  1859),  known  as 
"  the  Hamburg  Tabitha,"  in  1823  conceived  the  idea  of 
forming  a  Protestant  sisterhood,  patterned  somewhat  after 
the  Sisters  of  Charity  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  In 
1831,  when  the  cholera  appeared  in  Hamburg,  she  made  an 
effort  to  put  her  plans  into  execution.  She  issued  an  appeal 
in  which  she  entreated  others  of  like  mind  to  join  with  her 
in  nursing  the  sick.  When  no  one  responded  she  undertook 
the  work  alone,  soon  became  the  superintendent  of  the 
cholera  hospital,  and  by  her  devotion  to  duty  earned  the 
undying  respect  and  confidence  of  the  community.  Aban- 
doning the  idea  of  a  sisterhood,  she  organized,  in  1832,  a 
women's  society  for  the  care  of  the  sick  and  poor  of  her  native 
city,  which  is  still  in  existence,  and  which  has  served  as  the 
model  for  many  similar  societies  in  other  parts  of  Germany. 
When  Fliedner  later  began  his  work  at  Kaiserswerth  he  made 
an  effort  to  win  her  for  the  deaconess  cause;  but  she  would  not 
consent  to  relinquish  the  work  to  which  she  believed  herself 
called  of  God  at  Hamburg. 

JOHN  HOWARD  (Sept.  3,  17 26- Jan.  20,  1790),  the  apostle 
of  prison  reform.  Interest  in  prisons  and  prisoners  was  first 
awakened  in  this  eminent  English  philanthropist  by  his  own 
experiences  as  a  prisoner.  On  his  way  to  Lisbon  in  1756  the 
vessel  on  which  he  was  a  passenger  was  captured  by  a  French 
privateer,  and  he  was  thrown  into  a  dungeon,  first  at  Brest 
and  then  at  Morlaix,  where,  in  common  with  others,  he  was 
obliged  to  suffer  the  greatest  barbarities.  On  his  release  he 
returned  to  England,  where  he  remained  until  after  the  death 
of  his  second  wife  in  1765.  In  1769  he  began  his  series  of 
tours  on  the  Continent  and  in  Great  Britain,  on  which  he 
made  the  most  careful  investigation  into  the  condition  of 
prisons,  gathered  numerous  details,  of  the  most  shocking 


ITS   IMMEDIATE  ANTECEDENTS  6l 

character,  and  everywhere  endeavored  to  inculcate  the  thought 
that  the  ultimate  purpose  of  imprisonment  must  be  the  refor- 
mation of  the  convict.  Only  in  Belgium  and  Holland  did 
he  find  better  conditions;  and  here  he  learned  to  know  the 
beneficent  results  of  labor,  instruction,  and  religious  exercises 
in  prisons. 

In  1785  Howard  also  began  to  study  methods  for  suppress- 
ing the  plague.  On  a  second  trip  to  the  Continent  for  this 
purpose,  he  was  himself  stricken,  and  died  at  Cherson,  on  the 
Black  Sea.  A  monument  eulogizing  the  deceased  was 
placed  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  London.  To  Howard 
belongs  the  credit  of  having  inaugurated  the  great  reforms 
which  have  made  the  present  prison  system  of  most  countries 
so  vastly  different  from  what  it  was  a  century  ago. 

ELIZABETH  FRY  (Feb.  2,  i78o-Sept.  7,  1845),  after  John 
Howard,  the  chief  promoter  of  prison  reform  in  Europe, 
was  the  daughter  of  John  Gurney,  a  Friend,  and  was  born 
near  Norwich,  England.  Somewhat  worldly  minded  in 
early  life,  her  religious  character  did  not  begin  to  assume  shape 
until  her  eighteenth  year,  at  which  time  she  was  profoundly 
impressed  by  the  preaching  of  an  American  Friend,  William 
Savery.  In  August,  1800,  she  married  Joseph  Fry,  a  London 
merchant.  Amid  increasing  family  cares  she  still  found  time 
to  look  after  the  poor  and  the  neglected  of  the  neighborhood. 
Early  in  1813  she  made  her  first  visits  to  Newgate  Prison, 
and  was  deeply  moved  by  the  deplorable  physical,  mental, 
and  moral  condition  in  which  she  found  the  three  hundred 
women  incarcerated  there.  After  several  years  of  personal 
work  among  them  she  formed  the  Association  for  the  Im- 
provement of  the  Female  Prisoners  in  Newgate  in  April, 
1817,  whose  objects  included  the  entire  separation  of  the 
sexes,  classification  of  criminals,  female  supervision  for 
women,  and  adequate  provision  for  their  religious  and  secular 
instruction,  as  also  for  their  useful  employment.  Through 
the  efforts  of  the  Association,  and  largely  of  Mrs.  Fry  herself, 
such  radical  changes  for  the  better  were  effected,  and  so  many 
depraved  characters  were  permanently  reformed,  that  the 


62  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 

work  done  at  Newgate  began  to  attract  general  attention. 
Similar  societies  were  organized  in  other  parts  of  Great 
Britain  and  on  the  Continent.  In  1818  Mrs.  Fry,  with  her 
brother,  visited  the  prisons  of  Northern  England  and  Scot- 
land, and  in  1827  those  of  Ireland.  From  1838  to  1843  she 
made  five  trips  to  the  Continent  for  the  same  purpose; 
whilst  in  1839  her  efforts  brought  about  the  formation  of  a 
society  for  the  care  of  discharged  convicts  and  for  the  visita- 
tion of  vessels  that  transported  convicts  to  the  colonies. 
Among  the  eminent  men  of  Germany  influenced  by  Mrs. 
Fry  were  Frederick  William  IV.,  Bunsen,  Fliedner,  and 
Wichern.  Her  motto  was  "  Charity  to  the  soul  is  the  soul  of 
charity,"  and  she  has  very  properly  been  called  the  "  female 
Howard." 

THOMAS  CHALMERS  (March  17,  i78o-May  31,  1847),  the 
eminent  Scotch  divine,  comes  to  notice  here  chiefly  because 
of  his  labors  in  behalf  of  the  poor.  It  was  during  his  pastorate 
in  St.  John's  parish,  Glasgow  (1819-1823),  that  he  first  put 
his  plans  into  execution.  He  did  away  with  public  relief, 
and  made  it  the  Christian  duty  of  his  parishioners  to  provide 
for  the  care  of  the  poor  in  their  midst  through  voluntary 
contributions.  The  parish  was  made  up  chiefly  of  weavers, 
laborers,  factory  workers,  and  other  operatives.  "  Of  its 
2000  families,"  says  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hanna,  his  son-in-law  and 
biographer,  "  more  than  800  had  no  connection  with  any 
Christian  church,  while  the  number  of  its  uneducated  children 
was  countless.  He  broke  up  his  parish  into  25  districts,  each 
of  which  he  placed  under  separate  management,  and  estab- 
lished two  week-day  schools,  and  between  40  and  50  local 
Sabbath-schools,  for  the  instruction  of  the  children  of  the 
poorer  and  neglected  classes,  more  than  1000  of  whom 
attended.  In  a  multitude  of  other  ways  he  sought  to  elevate 
and  purify  the  lives  of  his  parishioners.  The  management 
of  the  poor  in  the  parish  of  St.  John's  was  intrusted  to  his 
care  by  the  authorities  as  an  experiment,  and  in  four  years  he 
reduced  the  pauper  expenditure  from  £1400  to  £280  per 
annum."  The  latter  was  accomplished  "  by  careful  scrutiny 


ITS  IMMEDIATE  ANTECEDENTS  63 

of  every  case  in  which  public  relief  was  asked  for,  by  a 
summary  rejection  of  the  idle,  the  drunken,  and  the  worth- 
less, by  stimulating  every  effort  that  the  poor  could  make 
to  help  themselves,  and,  when  necessary,  aiding  them  in 
their  efforts."  Only  as  a  last  resort  were  the  poor  funds  of 
the  church  drawn  upon.  Strange  to  say,  however,  the  sys- 
tem that  yielded  such  excellent  results  was  soon  violently 
opposed  by  the  civil  authorities,  and  survived  only  fourteen 
years  after  Chalmers  had  resigned  the  pastorate  of  St. 
John's  in  1823,  to  accept  the  chair  of  moral  philosophy 
in  the  University  of  St.  Andrews.  In  1828  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  chair  of  theology  in  Edinburgh.  Here  he 
became  the  leader  of  the  Free  Church  movement,  which  on 
the  1 8th  of  May,  1843,  culminated  in  his  withdrawal  from 
the  Established  Church,  followed  by  470  other  clergymen. 
The  four  remaining  years  of  his  life  were  spent  by  him  in 
perfecting  the  organization  of  the  Free  Church,  and  as 
principal  of  the  Free  Church  College. 

DAVID  NASMITH  (March  21,  i799-Nov.  25, 1839),  born  at 
Glasgow,  a  layman  of  intense  zeal  and  self -consecration,  but 
not  always  clear  in  his  views,  was  the  originator  of  city 
missions  (p.  116).  As  secretary  of  twenty-three  Christian 
societies  of  Glasgow  he  had  come  to  the  conviction  that 
some  agency  was  required  to  serve,  as  it  were,  as  an  extension 
of  the  pastoral  office;  or,  in  other  words,  that  persons  were 
needed  to  go  after  and  bring  in  those  that  stood  aloof,  to 
assist  in  the  cure  of  souls,  and  to  hold  services  in  neglected 
localities.  With  thoughts  like  these,  and  assisted  by  eight 
laymen,  Nasmith  established  the  first  city  mission,  in  Glas- 
gow, in  1826.  In  1835  he  founded  the  now  extensive  London 
City  Mission.  The  impulse  given  by  him  led  to  many 
similar  undertakings  in  Europe  and  America. 

HANS  NIELSEN  HAUGE  (April  3,  lyyi-March  29, 1824)  was 
a  powerful  lay  preacher  of  Norway.  Born  of  godly  parents, 
reared  in  an  atmosphere  of  genuine  piety,  from  his  early 
youth  a  zealous  student  of  the  Bible,  and  a  constant  reader 
of  the  devotional  writings  of  Luther,  Arndt,  and  Pontoppidan, 


64  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 

he  began  as  a  young  man  to  hold  religious  meetings,  produce 
and  circulate  controversial  writings,  and  finally,  as  a  lay 
preacher,  to  travel  from  place  to  place  delivering  the  old 
Gospel  message,  in  order  to  rescue  the  nation,  if  possible, 
from  the  blighting  effects  of  Rationalism.  As  was  to  be 
expected  the  widespread  movement  he  inaugurated  met 
with  violent  opposition  from  the  rationalistic  clergy,  by  whom 
he  was  slandered  and  persecuted,  and  who  had  him  re- 
peatedly imprisoned.  Finally,  broken  in  health  and  bereft 
of  his  business,  he  remained  in  comparative  retirement  until 
his  death.  While  laying  a  one-sided  emphasis  on  certain 
articles  of  the  Christian  faith,  Hauge  nevertheless  claimed 
that  he  sought  to  follow  the  doctrines  of  Christ  and  His 
apostles  as  set  forth  in  the  Scriptures  and  in  the  Symbolical 
Books  of  the  Lutheran  Church;  and  as  "  the  Spener  of  the 
North "  his  influence  was  pronounced  in  the  revival  of 
evangelical  faith  and  piety. 


B.  Its  Systematic  Development 

Until  the  middle  of  the  last  century  all  the  movements 
and  undertakings  now  denominated  as  Inner  Mission  work 
were  of  a  private  and  individual  character,  and  still  awaited  a 
master  hand  to  bring  them  into  proper  coordination.  Whether 
consciously  so  designed  or  not,  they  were  destined  ultimately 
to  become  a  part  of  a  greater  movement,  whose  purpose  it 
was  to  influence  the  Church  and  society  as  a  whole. 

It  was  Wichern's  powerful  plea  at  the  Wittenberg  Church 
Congress  that  brought  together  the  scattered  elements, 
united  them  in  a  common  cause,  aroused  all  Protestant 
Germany  to  the  need  of  the  hour,  and  gave  the  impulse  that 
brought  into  being  so  many  of  the  vast  and  varied  activities 
sketched  in  the  remaining  pages  of  this  volume.  Among 
these  activities,  all  of  which  are  the  outgrowth  of  a  reawak- 
ened faith,  we  find  again  the  Gemeindepflege  of  the  Early 
Church,  the  institutional  system  of  a  later  period,  and  the 
associational  method  of  work  which  in  some  form  or  other  has 


ITS  SYSTEMATIC   DEVELOPMENT  65 

always  existed  in  the  Church.  In  their  cooperation  with 
one  another  these  have  but  one  object  in  view,  namely,  the 
cure  of  social  ills,  not,  indeed,  by  external  and  mere  mechan- 
ical means,  but  from  within,  and  by  those  means  that  impress 
and  give  proper  shape  to  the  moral  and  religious  side  of  man's 
being. 

What  the  Inner  Mission  movement  has  in  the  last  sixty 
or  seventy  years  become  is,  under  God,  due  to  its  great 
leaders.  Foremost  among  these  was  Wichern. 

JOHANN  HEINRICH  WICHERN,  commonly  called  the  "father 
of  the  Inner  Mission,"  was  born  in  Hamburg,  April  21, 
1808.  His  youth  fell  into  the  period  when  Germany  was 
still  suffering  from  the  spiritual  desolation  wrought  by 
Rationalism  and  the  physical  ills  resulting  from  the  Napo- 
leonic wars.  The  oldest  of  seven  children,  he  was  obliged 
at  the  age  of  fifteen,  on  the  death  of  his  father,  to  interrupt 
his  studies  more  or  less  by  giving  private  instruction  in  order 
to  earn  something  toward  the  support  of  the  family.  After 
his  confirmation  at  seventeen  he  became  tutor  in  a  private 
school  near  Hamburg,  and  at  the  same  time  pursued  studies 
in  the  academic  gymnasium  of  his  native  city,  an  institution 
designed  to  be  a  connecting  link  between  the  ordinary 
gymnasium  and  the  university.  After  many  internal  and 
external  conflicts,  through  all  of  which  he  preserved  his 
childlike  faith,  Wichern  was  at  last  enabled  by  the  aid  of 
friends  to  enter  the  University  of  Gottingen  in  the  fall  of 
1828.  Here  he  remained  three  semesters,  and  was  espe- 
cially attracted  toward  Prof.  Liicke,  whose  lectures  on  the 
harmony  between  revelation  and  science  greatly  strength- 
ened his  faith.  From  Gottingen  Wichern  went  to  Berlin. 
Here  he  came  into  close  personal  contact  with  men  like 
Schleiermacher,  Neander,  Baron  von  Kottwitz,  and  Dr. 
Julius,  all  of  whom  left  their  impress  upon  him,  and  had  much 
to  do  with  shaping  his  subsequent  career.  In  the  fall  of 
1831  he  returned  to  Hamburg,  and,  having  successfully 
passed  his  theological  examination,  became  a  "  candidate," 
and  was  ready  to  accept  a  call  to  a  pastorate. 


66  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 

Such  a  call,  however,  never  came  to  him,  as  the  Lord  had 
chosen  him  for  a  different  sphere  of  work.  In  1825  Pastor 
Rautenberg  and  J.  G.  Oncken  had  begun  a  Sunday-school 
in  a  suburb  of  Hamburg — the  first  in  Germany:  with  this 
Wichern  connected  himself,  and  became  its  principal  teacher. 
Among  the  children  gathered  in  this  school  and  in  his  visits 
from  house  to  house  he  learned  to  know  the  spiritual,  moral, 
and  physical  wretchedness  of  thousands  as  he  had  never 
known  it  before.  How  to  relieve  this  now  became  the  upper- 
most thought  in  his  mind.  Accordingly,  on  the  3ist  of 
October,  1833,  he,  with  his  mother  and  sister,  moved  into  a 
small  house  which  had  been  placed  at  his  disposal  in  another 
suburb  of  Hamburg,  known  as  Horn.  Here  a  child-saving 
institution  was  to  be  established.  The  beginnings  were  most 
humble.  Bread,  salt,  and  the  Bible  were  all  that  the  dining- 
table  of  the  living  room  had  to  offer;  and  two  pictures, 
"  Christ  Blessing  Little  Children "  and  "  Christ's  Entry 
into  Jerusalem/'  adorned  the  otherwise  bare  walls.  A  few 
days  later  the  first  three  children  were  received,  and  by  the 
end  of  the  year  this  number  had  grown  to  twelve.  Thus 
was  begun  the  famous  institution  known  as  Das  Rauhe 
Haus,  which,  in  its  subsequent  extraordinary  development 
and  the  methods  which  it  introduced,  became  the  pattern 
for  many  similar  institutions  not  only  in  Germany,  but  in 
other  lands. 

Two  characteristic  principles  in  Wichern's  child-saving 
work  were  change  of  environment  and  the  "  family  system." 
To  realize  the  latter  he  divided  his  depraved  boys  into  groups 
of  ten  or  twelve  in  separate  houses.  This,  however,  neces- 
sitated a  "  housefather  "  for  each  group  or  family;  and  thus 
Wichern  became  a  pioneer  in  another  branch  of  Inner  Mission 
work.  He  began  the  training  of  men  not  only  for  service  in 
his  own  institution,  but  for  the  work  of  mercy  elsewhere. 
And  to-day  Germany  has  seventeen  so-called  Bruderhauser 
with  over  three  thousand  "  brothers,"  engaged  in  upward  of 
twenty-five  different  spheres  of  labor. 

Possibly  the  most  important  day  in  Wichern's  life  was  the 


ITS   SYSTEMATIC  DEVELOPMENT  67 

22d  of  September,  1848.  A  Church  Congress  had  been 
called  to  meet  at  Wittenberg,  in  the  Castle  Church,  where 
Luther  lay  buried,  and  upon  whose  door  the  great  Reformer 
had  nailed  his  Ninety-five  Theses.  The  chief  purpose  of  the 
Congress  was  to  bring  about  a  federation  of  the  Protestant 
Churches  of  Germany,  to  meet  and,  if  possible,  overcome  the 
constantly  growing  evils  in  the  life  of  the  nation.  Though 
Wichern  was  to  be  privileged  to  speak  in  the  interests  of  the 
Inner  Mission  cause,  the  subject  was  then  still  so  little  under- 
stood and  deemed  of  such  small  importance  that  it  was  given 
the  last  place  on  the  last  day's  program.  But  this  did  not 
satisfy  Wichern.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  first  day  he  re- 
minded the  Congress  of  the  fact  that  he  attended  it  only  on 
condition  that  the  subject  so  near  to  his  heart  should  receive 
adequate  consideration.  After  sketching  in  briefest  outline 
the  conditions  to  be  met  and  the  methods  that  must  be 
followed,  the  Congress,  deeply  impressed  by  his  statements, 
resolved  to  change  the  order  of  the  program  and  to  permit 
Wichern  to  speak  on  the  following  day. 

That  afternoon  marked  not  only  a  new  epoch  in  Wichern's 
life,  but  in  the  Church  of  Germany  as  well.  Speaking 
altogether  extemporaneously,  but  with  fervid  eloquence,  he 
pictured  to  the  Congress  the  spiritual  indifference  and  desti- 
tution of  entire  classes;  the  distressing  conditions  resulting 
for  large  numbers  from  the  rapid  growth  of  the  cities;  the 
antichristian  sentiments  entertained,  and  the  heathenish 
mode  of  life  followed  by  many  in  the  ranks  of  the  wealthy  and 
cultured  as  well  as  among  the  poor  and  ignorant;  and  how  the 
Church  and  Christian  people  in  general  had  hitherto  been 
blind  to  these  things. 

In  support  of  his  statements  he  cited  names,  figures,  and 
numerous  personal  experiences.  He  called  attention  to  the 
fact  that  here  and  there  isolated  efforts  had  been  made  to 
stem  the  tide  of  evil;  but  now  "  the  time  has  come,"  he  said, 
in  conclusion,  "  when  the  entire  Evangelical  Church  must 
make  the  Inner  Mission  her  work  and  demonstrate  her  faith 
by  her  love.  This  love  must  burn  in  her  as  the  torch  lighted 


68  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN   ITS  MODERN   FORM 

of  God,  to  show  that  Christ  lives  in  His  people.  As  the  whole 
Christ  reveals  Himself  in  the  living  Word  of  God,  so  must  He 
also  declare  Himself  in  divine  acts,  and  the  highest,  purest, 
and  most  churchly  of  these  is  saving  love.  If  the  Inner 
Mission  be  viewed  in  this  light,  the  Church  will  have  a  new 
future  before  her."  The  effect  of  this  matchless  plea  on  the 
Congress,  and,  indeed,  on  the  whole  of  Protestant  Germany, 
was  instant  and  powerful,  and  resulted  in  the  organization 
on  the  4th  of  January,  1849,  of  the  Central  Committee  for 
the  Inner  Mission  of  the  German  Evangelical  Church,  of 
which  Wichern  naturally  was  the  leading  spirit.  His  famous 
Denkschrift,  issued  in  April,  1849,  became  the  Program  of  the 
Inner  Mission. 

In  order  to  permit  Wichern  to  present  the  cause  in  other 
parts  of  Germany,  he  was  in  1850  given  an  assistant  at  the 
Rauhe  Haus.  The  need  of  such  a  helper  and  substitute 
became  still  more  evident  when  in  1851  the  Prussian  govern- 
ment commissioned  him  to  inspect  the  penal  and  reformatory 
institutions  of  the  kingdom,  and  when  in  1857  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  a  position  in  the  Department  of  the  Interior 
and  a  member  of  the  High  Consistory.  This  required  him  to 
live  in  Berlin  during  the  winter,  and  here  he  began  the 
J ' ohannesstift  for  the  training  of  brothers,  and  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  the  City  Mission,  now  the  most  important  in  Germany. 
The  first  City  Mission  in  Germany  was  begun  by  him  at 
Hamburg,  November  10,  1848;  and  he  aided  materially  in 
bringing  others  into  existence. 

For  the  wars  of  1864,  1866,  and  1870  Wichern  organized 
the  Prussian  military  diaconate;  but  in  1871,  under  the 
burden  of  work,  domestic  afflictions,  and  other  cares,  his 
health  began  to  fail.  In  1874  he  became  entirely  disabled 
by  a  stroke  of  paralysis.  Compelled  to  relinquish  all  work, 
he  retired  to  his  much-loved  Rauhe  Haus,  where,  after  seven 
years  of  suffering,  he  passed  to  his  eternal  home,  April  7, 
1881. 

Wichern's  wife  was  Amanda  Bohme,  whom  he  first  met 
in  connection  with  his  work  in  Pastor  Rautenberg's  Sunday 


ITS   SYSTEMATIC  DEVELOPMENT  69 

school,  but  did  not  marry  until  1835,  two  years  after  the 
opening  of  the  Rauhe  Haus.  This  union  was  blessed  with 
nine  children,  four  sons  and  five  daughters.  One  of  the  sons, 
Johann,  succeeded  his  father  as  director  of  the  institution. 

Gifted  with  extraordinary  insight  into  existing  conditions, 
great  resourcefulness,  and  the  power  of  eloquent  speech, 
Wichern  became  the  incarnation  of  the  Inner  Mission  move- 
ment in  its  wider  scope.  In  the  program  mapped  out 
by  him  he  placed  the  Word  above  everything,  and  regarded 
the  works  of  mercy  done  in  Christ's  name,  not  as  the  chief 
object  of  the  Inner  Mission,  but  only  as  the  active  demonstra- 
tion of  that  love  through  which  the  faith  wrought  by  the 
Word  exercises  itself. 

Wichern  and  his  labors  are  to-day  known  to  a  large  part 
of  the  Christian  world;  the  movement  he  inaugurated  is 
being  studied  with  increasing  interest;  and  its  methods  have 
unconsciously  influenced  Christian  work  in  other  lands 
besides  Germany. 

Of  no  less  consequence  in  the  development  of  the  Inner 
Mission  movement,  though  in  some  respects  less  gifted  than 
Wichern,  was  THEODOR  FLIEDNER,  the  son  of  a  poor  pastor 
at  Eppstein,  Nassau,  born  January  21,  1800,  died  October  4, 
1864.  Left  an  orphan  at  thirteen,  it  was  only  through  the 
greatest  self-denial  that  he  was  enabled  to  get  an  education. 
He  pursued  his  theological  studies  at  the  Universities  of 
Giessen  and  Gottingen,  where,  in  spite  of  their  rationalistic 
atmosphere,  he  retained  his  faith  in  the  miracles  and  resur- 
rection of  Christ.  After  spending  another  year  in  the  Theo- 
logical Seminary  at  Herborn,  and  serving  for  a  time  as  tutor 
in  a  private  family  at  Cologne,  he  became  pastor  in  1822  of 
the  small  Protestant  congregation  in  the  Roman  Catholic 
town  of  Kaiserswerth,  on  the  Rhine,  at  the  meagre  salary 
of  1 80  Prussian  dollars.  The  financial  distress  of  his  con- 
gregation was  greatly  increased  by  the  failure  of  a  manu- 
facturing concern  upon  which  the  town  largely  depended 
for  a  living.  This  led  Fliedner  to  undertake  a  collecting  tour 
for  the  congregation,  at  first  in  the  Rhine  Province,  and  in 


70  THE  INNER  MISSION   IN  ITS  MODERN   FORM 

1823  through  Holland  and  England.  This  not  only  yielded 
him  enough  money  to  put  his  congregation  on  a  firm  finan- 
cial basis,  but  his  intercourse  with  active  Christians  of  other 
lands  greatly  stimulated  his  own  faith,  and  the  institutions  of 
mercy  he  saw  suggested  to  him  the  thought  of  undertaking 
similar  work  in  his  own  country.  Speaking  of  his  visit  to 
Holland  and  England  he  says:  "  In  both  these  Protestant 
countries  I  became  acquainted  with  a  multitude  of  charitable 
institutions  for  the  benefit  of  both  body  and  soul.  I  saw 
schools  and  other  educational  organizations,  almshouses, 
orphanages,  hospitals,  prisons,  and  societies  for  the  reforma- 
tion of  prisoners,  Bible  and  missionary  societies,  etc.;  and 
at  the  same  time  I  observed  that  it  was  a  living  faith  in 
Christ  which  had  called  almost  every  one  of  these  institutions 
and  societies  into  life,  and  still  preserved  them  in  activity. 
This  evidence  of  the  practical  power  and  fertility  of  such  a 
principle  had  a  most  powerful  influence  hi  strengthening  my 
own  faith." 

Inspired  by  the  example  of  the  English  Quakeress,  Eliza- 
beth Fry,  Fliedner  was  the  first  in  Germany  to  interest  him- 
self in  behalf  of  prisoners.  For  years  he  visited  the  peni- 
tentiary at  Diisseldorf  every  two  weeks  in  order  to  give  the 
inmates  pastoral  care;  and  in  1826  he  founded  the  Rhenish- 
Westphalian  Prison  Society,  the  first  of  the  kind  on  the 
Continent.  It  was  in  connection  with  his  visits  to  Diissel- 
dorf that  he  met  his  first  wife,  Fredericke  Minister,  whom  he 
married  in  1828,  and  in  whom  he  found  such  a  wise  and  faith- 
ful help-mate  in  his  subsequent  work. 

In  September,  1833,  a  discharged  female  convict,  named 
Minna,  who  had  found  no  place  of  shelter  elsewhere,  came  to 
Fliedner's  house  and  begged  for  protection  and  help.  Flied- 
ner and  his  wife  lodged  her  in  the  small  summer-house  of  the 
parsonage  garden;  a  second  applicant  soon  appeared  who  was 
given  shelter  in  the  same  place;  as  others  continued  to  come 
the  first  Magdalen  home  began  to  assume  shape;  and  thus  the 
little  building  became  the  cradle  of  the  Kaiserswerth  institu- 
tions. 


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ITS   SYSTEMATIC  DEVELOPMENT  71 

Three  years  later  that  work  was  begun  with  which  Flied- 
ner's  name  will  always  continue  to  be  most  closely  associated. 
Among  the  Mennonites  in  Holland  he  had  found  deaconesses. 
Others  before  him  had  advocated  the  restoration  of  the 
ancient  office,  but  had  found  no  practical  way  of  doing  so. 
He  himself  had  become  fully  persuaded  that  no  one  was 
so  well  fitted  by  nature  and  grace  for  the  work  of  ministering 
love  as  a  devout  Christian  woman;  and  to  his  mind  the  solu- 
tion of  the  problem  lay  in  establishing  institutions  for  the 
special  training  of  unmarried  women  in  the  various  branches 
of  diaconal  activity,  and  in  associating  these  as  a  close  com- 
munity. Accordingly,  in  the  spring  of  1836,  with  no  money, 
but  a  large  measure  of  faith,  he  bought  the  largest  and  best 
house  in  Kaiserswerth,  through  his  efforts  the  Rhenish- 
Westphalian  Deaconess  Association  was  organized,  and  on  the 
i3th  of  October  of  the  same  year  the  first  Deaconess  Mother- 
house  was  opened.  The  first  woman  to  offer  herself  for  the 
service  was  Gertrude  Reichardt.  To-day  over  1300  sisters 
are  attached  to  the  House,  and  almost  20,000  to  the  84 
motherhouses  that  constitute  the  Kaiserswerth  Union. 
These  labor  in  all  parts  of  the  world  and  in  almost  every 
line  of  benevolent  activity.  Kaiserswerth  alone  had  340 
fields  of  labor  in  1910,  some  of  these  in  Asia  and  Africa; 
while  the  total  number  of  houses  comprised  in  the  Kaisers- 
werth Union  had  sisters  laboring  on  over  7200  stations. 

Besides  furnishing  hundreds  of  sisters  to  institutions  not 
under  its  control  and  to  congregations,  the  Kaiserswerth 
Motherhouse  maintains  fifty  institutions  of  its  own — twenty- 
two  at  Kaiserswerth,  eleven  in  other  parts  of  Germany,  and 
seventeen  in  foreign  lands. 

It  may  well  be  questioned  whether  in  the  great  modern 
revival  of  practical  Christianity  any  one  life  was  more  potent 
and  more  far-reaching  in  its  influence  than  that  of  Fliedner. 
In  restoring  the  female  diaconate  he  again  gave  to  the  Church 
the  most  effective  agency  for  the  systematic  exercise  of 
Christian  charity  that  she  ever  had — an  agency  that  in  these 
days  has  made  possible  many  forms  of  work  that  could  hardly 


72  THE  INNER  MISSION   IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 

be  successfully  undertaken  without  it.  It  has  brought  into 
existence  many  new  charities,  and  has  in  many  instances 
revolutionized  the  methods  of  the  old.  The  Christian 
care  of  epileptics,  the  care  and  training  of  neglected  children, 
the  protection  and  instruction  of  young  women  in  working 
girls'  homes,  the  rescue  of  the  fallen,  and  the  enormous 
improvements  in  the  nursing  of  the  sick,  are,  among  many 
other  things,  most  intimately  associated  with  the  revival  of 
the  female  diaconate;  while,  above  all,  the  deaconess  has 
become  the  most  efficient  aid  of  the  pastoral  office  in  the 
benevolent  work  of  the  parish.  Indeed,  without  deaconesses 
the  vast  work  carried  on  by  the  German  Inner  Mission 
for  more  than  half  a  century  would  have  been  impossible; 
nor  might  the  charities  of  other  lands  have  increased  so  fast 
and  improved  their  methods  so  rapidly  had  it  not  been  for 
the  example  set  by  Protestant  Germany. 

When  we  think  of  all  that  Fliedner  accomplished  and  see 
to  what  proportions  the  work  begun  by  him  has  grown, 
we  may  well  exclaim:  "  This  is  the  Lord's  doing;  it  is  mar- 
velous in  our  eyes!"  Fliedner  himself  was  not  a  great  man 
such  as  the  world  calls  great.  He  had  neither  brilliant  learn- 
ing to  attract  attention,  nor  the  fire  of  eloquence  to  move  the 
multitude;  but  as  a  man  of  prayer  and  childlike  faith  and 
deep  humility  he  had  power  with  God.  Endowed  with 
extraordinary  practical  wisdom  and  a  wonderful  talent  for 
organization  and  adaptation,  and  having  exceptional  capacity 
for  work  and  untiring  energy,  he  desired  only  to  know  the 
mind  of  God  that  he  might  use  all  his  gifts  for  the  glory  of 
Him  whose  servant  he  was.  "  He  must  increase,  but  I 
must  decrease,"  was  the  regulative  principle  of  his  life. 
Therefore  the  Lord  blessed  him  in  his  work,  and  wherever  the 
Fliedner  spirit  has  since  been  preserved  there  the  great  work 
inaugurated  by  him  has  made  progress. 

The  example  of  this  plain  man  of  God  should  teach  us 
anew  that  in  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  only  he  is  truly  great 
who  is  least;  and  that  large  blessings  come  only  to  those  who 
use  the  Lord's  gifts  as  His  faithful  servants.  The  extra- 


ITS    SYSTEMATIC   DEVELOPMENT  73 

ordinary  growth  of  the  Kaiserswerth  institutions  and  of  the 
deaconess  cause  in  general  from  a  very  insignificant  begin- 
ning is  a  most  remarkable  illustration  of  the  principle  an- 
nounced by  our  Lord  in  the  parable  of  the  mustard  seed — 
a  principle  that  in  these  days  of  large  enterprises  and  noisy 
demonstrations  is  too  often  forgotten.  Above  all  does  it 
teach  us  that  when  the  Lord  wants  His  work  done  He  does 
not  in  the  first  instance  require  material  things,  but  willing, 
consecrated  persons,  who  would  be  nothing  more  than  in- 
struments in  His  hands  for  the  accomplishment  of  His  pur- 
poses. When  once  He  has  the  latter,  He  never  fails  to  open 
plenty  of  hearts  and  hands  to  supply  the  former. 

To  the  names  of  Wichern  and  Fliedner  must  now  be  added 
that  of  WILHELM  LOHE  (Feb.  21,  i8o8-Jan.  2,  1872),  a  man 
"  of  clear  vision,  of  great  heart,  of  gentle  hand,"  whose 
"  name  is  deeply  inwoven  into  the  history  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  in  Bavaria,  of 'Germany,  of  America,  of  Inner  Mis- 
sions, and  works  of  mercy  the  world  over."  Lohe  was  the 
son  of  pious  parents,  lost  his  father  at  eight,  attended  the 
gymnasium  at  Nuremberg,  and  entered  the  University  of 
Erlangen  in  1826,  where  his  spiritual  life  was  greatly  in- 
fluenced by  Professor  KrafTt  of  the  Reformed  Church. 
After  a  brief  stay  at  the  University  of  Berlin  (1828)  he  became 
vicar  at  various  places,  and  everywhere  attracted  attention 
by  the  earnestness  and  eloquence  of  his  preaching.  In  1837 
he  was  called  to  Neuendettelsau,  a  small  and  unattractive 
village  in  Bavaria.  Here  he  unfolded  his  great  powers  as 
preacher,  liturgist,  catechist,  and  pastor,  and  attracted 
people  from  near  and  far  to  reap  the  benefit  of  his  ministra- 
tions. A  rich  literary  activity  also  helped  to  extend  his 
influence  far  beyond  the  bounds  of  his  parish.  In  his  writings, 
as  in  his  public  ministrations,  he  represented  the  strictest 
type  of  Lutheran  orthodoxy. 

In  1841  Lobe's  attention  was  directed  to  the  spiritual  dis- 
tress of  German  Lutherans  who  had  emigrated  to  the  United 
States.  To  relieve  this  he  made  provision  for  the  training 
of  missionaries,  first  at  Nuremberg,  then  in  the  Missionary 


74  THE  INNER  MISSION   IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 

Institute  he  founded  at  Neuendettelsau.  The  first  of  the 
men  sent  over  united  with  the  Saxon  Lutherans  in  forming  the 
Missouri  Synod  in  1847.  Lohe  was  also  active  in  the  founding 
of  its  seminary  at  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana,  and  in  fostering 
missionary  activity  among  the  Michigan  Indians.  When 
differences  arose  between  him  and  the  Missouri  Synod  and 
his  relations  with  it  were  severed,  the  Iowa  Synod  was  formed 
by  a  few  men  whom  Lohe  had  sent  (Grossmann,  Deindorfer, 
S.  Fritschel),  and  of  the  ministers  subsequently  added  to  this 
body  many  had  received  their  theological  training  at  Neu- 
endettelsau. In  1850  Lohe  organized  the  Society  for  Inner 
Missions  as  understood  by  the  Lutheran  Church,  whose  ob- 
jects were  to  be  various,  but  which  in  reality  found  its  chief 
sphere  of  activity  in  the  promotion  of  the  work  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Institute. 

The  work  by  which  Lohe  will  always  be  best  known  is  the 
Neuendettelsau  Deaconess  House  and  the  institutions  of 
mercy  that  cluster  about  it.  In  the  creation  and  develop- 
ment of  these  he  found  abundant  opportunity  for  the  utiliza- 
tion of  his  peculiar  and  extraordinary  gifts.  Besides  the 
practical  training  which  the  sisters  here  received,  his  preach- 
ing, teaching,  and  Seelsorge,  and  the  wonderful  richness  of 
his  liturgical  services  served  to  give  them  a  very  high  degree 
of  mental  and  spiritual  culture.  He  understood,  as  few  do, 
how  to  use  beauty  of  form  unto  edification,  and  as  a  vehicle 
for  the  expression  of  the  deepest  spirituality.  At  Neuen- 
dettelsau psalmody  was  again  introduced,  church  music 
of  the  purest  type  found  a  home,  and  ecclesiastical  embroid- 
ery became  for  the  first  time  a  branch  of  deaconess  work; 
all  this,  however,  in  the  service  of  Him  who  is  to  be  worshipped 
in  spirit  and  in  truth,  and  in  the  beauty  of  holiness. 

In  the  institutions  created  at  Neuendettelsau  "  the  wealth 
and  the  depth  of  the  spirit  of  Lohe,  as  well  as  his  incomparable 
power  of  organization,  developed  without  hindrance  in  a 
wonderful  manner.  The  rich  blessing  which  flowed  forth  in 
every  direction  compelled  the  admiring  recognition  even  of 
those  who  did  not  share  his  churchly  position.  In  this 


ITS   SYSTEMATIC  DEVELOPMENT  75 

many-sided  activity  the  inner  life  of  Lohe  bore  fruit  even  to 
his  end,  without,  however,  externalizing  itself.  He  was 
a  person  of  wonderful  concentration,  endowed  with  quiet 
power  and  peace,  full  of  ardor,  and  withal  enriched  with  the 
soberest  discretion,  conscious  of  the  power  given  him,  and 
yet  abounding  in  deep  humility,  without  a  trace  of  sentimen- 
tality or  emotionalism,  and  still  of  a  deeply  apprehending 
inwardness,  devotion,  and  sympathy.  He  had  a  delicate 
appreciation  of  all  that  was  humanly  great  and  beautiful, 
but  the  element  in  which  he  lived  was  the  superlative  beauty 
(hochgelobte  Schonheit}  of  Christ.  In  his  company  one  was 
impressed  as  though  he  were  always  praying,  and  even 
when  he  spoke  of  small,  outward  things  it  was  as  the  breath 
of  the  Spirit  of  the  kingdom  of  God."1 

As  leading  representatives  of  special  forms  of  Inner  Mission 
work  the  following  may  be  mentioned: 

KARL  MEZ  (April  20,  i8o8-May  28, 1877),  the  proprietor  of 
a  silk  mill  at  Freiburg,  Baden,  in  which  he  had  one  thousand 
female  operatives.  Realizing  to  what  moral  dangers  such 
are  often  exposed,  he  undertook  to  make  his  establishment 
a  conservator  of  morals.  To  this  end  he  built  the  first  home 
for  factory  women  (p.  153).  In  this  board  and  lodging  were 
furnished  at  a  minimum  price,  its  atmosphere  was  that  of 
the  Christian  household,  Mez  and  his  family  were  in  daily 
contact  with  it,  he  himself  conducted  daily  prayers,  and 
thus  by  word  and  example  left  an  impress  for  good  upon  his 
employes.  That  they  might  also  become  good  housekeepers 
they  were  required  to  do  a  certain  amount  of  housework  after 
factory  hours.  Demoralizing  amusements,  like  public  dances, 
were  forbidden.  A  hospital  was  established  in  which  sick 
employes  received  free  treatment,  and  a  savings  bank  con- 
nected with  the  establishment  paid  five  per  cent,  on  deposits. 
Smaller  factories  were  opened  in  neighboring  villages  and 
towns,  where  girls  who  worked  in  them  could  live  at  home  and 
enjoy  all  the  advantages  of  home  life.  The  results  of  Mez's 
experiment  proved  highly  successful;  and  his  methods  are  a 

1  Dr.  S.  FRITSCHEL  in  the  Lutheran  Cyclopedia,  p.  285. 


76  THE  INNER  MISSION   IN  ITS  MODERN   FORM 

rebuke  to  the  proprietors  of  manufacturing  and  mercantile 
establishments  who  have  no  concern  either  for  the  physical 
or  the  moral  well-being  of  their  employes. 

KARL  ULRICH  KOBELT  (Nov.  5,  i847-April  6,  1899),  born 
in  the  Province  of  Posen,  and  in  his  youth  and  student  years 
brought  into  contact  with  many  of  the  religious  leaders  of 
his  day,  in  1875  became  pastor  and  superintendent  of  the 
institutions  at  Neinstedt  in  the  Harz  Mountains,  begun  by 
Philipp  and  Marie  Nathusius  in  1850.  When  he  took  charge 
these  consisted  of  a  rescue  home  for  children  and  a  Diakonen- 
haus  ("Lindenhof  "),  and  two  homes  for  feeble-minded  and 
epileptic  ("  Elisabethstift,"  "Kreuzhiilfe").  While  his  man- 
agement of  all  these  interests  was  marked  by  unusual  pastoral 
fidelity,  he  gave  special  attention  to  the  work  of  training 
deacons,  and  never  grew  weary  in  his  advocacy  of  this  cause. 
He  was  highly  gifted  as  a  preacher,  liturgist,  and  musician, 
and  equally  competent  in  giving  direction  to  the  secular 
affairs  of  his  institutions.  Under  the  burden  of  his  incessant 
labors  his  health  began  to  fail,  and  when  he  passed  away  at 
the  comparatively  early  age  of  fifty-two,  the  Inner  Mission 
lost  one  of  its  most  capable  representatives. 

FRIEDRICH  VON  BODELSCHWINGH  (March  6,  i83i-April  2, 
1910),  in  many  respects  the  most  remarkable  of  recent 
Inner  Mission  leaders,  was  the  son  of  a  Prussian  Minister 
of  Finance,  and  a  playmate  of  the  Crown  Prince,  subse- 
quently Frederick  III.  After  completing  his  theological 
studies  he  served  for  a  time  as  pastor  in  Paris  and  in  the 
Westphalian  village  of  Belling.  In  1872  he  became  the 
head  of  the  small  institution  for  epileptics  at  Bielefeld, 
Westphalia,  which  under  his  management  developed  into 
the  vast  "  colony  of  mercy  "  that  it  is  to-day.  Here  dwell 
several  thousand  afflicted  ones — epileptic,  feeble-minded, 
and  idiotic — grouped  into  families  in  separate  buildings. 
All  who  are  able  are  kept  busy  with  some  indoor  or  out- 
door employment  suited  to  their  capacity.  Wholesome  and 
steady  occupation  is  found  to  be  their  best  tonic,  and  prac- 
tically all  the  work  of  the  colony  is  done  by  those  who  com- 


STOCKER 


KOBELT 


SCHAFER 


ITS   SYSTEMATIC   DEVELOPMENT  77 

pose  it.  A  Diakonenhaus  ("  Nazareth  ")  and  a  Deaconess 
House  ("  Sarepta  "),  both  a  part  of  the  colony,  furnish  the 
trained  care-takers.  A  church  seating  upwards  of  1 500  is  the 
center  of  the  colony,  and  the  place  where  the  sufferers  find 
comfort,  and  those  who  minister  to  them  renew  their  strength. 
Another  creation  of  von  Bodelschwingh  is  "  Wilhelmsdorf," 
the  labor  colony  in  the  Senne,  ten  miles  from  Bielefeld. 

The  secret  of  von  Bodelschwingh's  success  is  to  be  found  in 
his  marvelous  resourcefulness  and  his  extraordinary  talent 
for  organization  and  administration,  combined  with  a  child- 
like faith  and  a  most  tender  and  sympathetic  love.  He  was 
a  nobleman  of  God's  making;  and  in  the  results  achieved  by 
him  he  does  not  come  behind  Wichern,  Fliedner,  and  Lohe. 

ADOLF  STOCKER  (Dec.  n,  i835~Feb.  7,  1909),  whose 
name  will  always  remain  most  intimately  associated  with  the 
development  of  the  Berlin  City  Mission,  was  born  in  Halber- 
stadt,  Saxony,  studied  theology  and  philosophy  at  Halle 
and  Berlin,  served  for  a  time  as  a  private  tutor,  was  called 
to  his  first  pastorate  in  1863  and  his  second  two  and  a  half 
years  later,  and  finally  became  court  and  cathedral  preacher 
in  Berlin,  October  18,  1874.  Here  he  was  in  1877  placed 
at  the  head  of  the  City  Mission,  which  he  succeeded  in  making 
the  effective  agency  for  good  that  it  is  to-day  (p.  118). 
Stocker  was  an  eloquent  preacher  and  public  speaker,  who 
attracted  large  audiences  from  all  ranks  of  society  wherever 
he  appeared.  Perhaps  since  the  days  of  Wichern  there  was 
no  one  who  had  a  better  understanding  of  the  social  problem, 
nor  one  who  perceived  more  clearly  whence  its  solution  must 
come.  It  was  in  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ment that  he  found  those  principles  that  must  lie  at  the  foun- 
dation of  a  proper  social  order;  and  these  principles  he  un- 
ceasingly emphasized  in  his  writings  and  public  utterances. 

Among  the  best  known  and  most  prolific  writers  on  Inner 
Mission  subjects  are  Uhlhorn  and  Schafer. 

GERHARD  UHLHORN  (Feb.  17,  i826-Dec.  15, 1901)  became 
private  instructor  at  the  University  of  Gottingen  in  1852, 
consistorial  councillor  and  court  preacher  at  Hanover  in  1855, 


7 8  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN   ITS   MODERN   FORM 

a  member  of  the  consistory  in  1866,  and  abbot  of  Loccum  in 
1878.  As  court  preacher  he  also  served  the  Deaconess 
House  at  Hanover  in  the  capacity  of  pastor,  and  was  for 
many  years  before  his  death  the  presiding  officer  of  the 
Inner  Mission  society  of  his  province.  The  practical  knowl- 
edge thus  gained,  added  to  his  mastery  of  historical  material, 
resulted  in  the  preparation  of  a  number  of  publications 
dealing  with  Inner  Mission  subjects,  chief  among  them 
Die  Christliche  Liebesthdtigkeit,  in  three  volumes,  of  which 
the  first  has  been  translated  into  English  (Christian  Charity 
in  the  Ancient  Church). 

The  most  voluminous  writer  on  Inner  Mission  subjects, 
and  their  acknowledged  scientific  expositor,  is  THE  ODOR 
SCHAFER  (born  Feb.  n,  1846),  since  1872  pastor  of  the 
Deaconess  House  at  Altona,  Hamburg.  The  most  note- 
worthy of  his  many  publications  are  his  Leitfaden  der  Inneren 
Mission,  and  Die  weibliche  Diakonie  in  ihrem  ganzen  Umfang 
dargestellt,  the  latter  in  three  volumes.  Many  of  his  addresses 
have  been  issued  under  the  title  of  Praktisches  Christenthum, 
in  four  volumes.  From  1877  to  the  close  of  1910  he  was  the 
publisher  of  a  monthly  known  at  first  as  Monatsschrift  fur 
Diakonie  und  Inner e  Mission,  and  since  1881  as  Monats- 
schrift fur  Innere  Mission  mit  Einschluss  der  Diakonie, 
Diasporapflege,  Evangelisation  und  gesamten  Wohlthatig- 
keit.  This  is  a  veritable  treasure-house  of  information  on  all 
phases  of  Inner  Mission  work. 

Among  other  German  Inner  Mission  workers  of  more  or 
less  prominence  may  yet  be  mentioned  Johannes  Gossner 
(1773-1858),  founder  of  the  Elizabeth  Hospital  and  Deaconess 
House  in  Berlin;  Christian  Gottlob  Barth  (1799-1862), 
of  the  Calwer  Tract  and  Publication  Society;  King  Friedrich 
Wilhelm  IV.  (1795-1861),  founder  of  the  Deaconess  House 
Bethanien  in  Berlin,  and  the  warm  friend  and  supporter  of 
other  Inner  Mission  enterprises;  Professor  Clemens  Theodor 
Perthes  (1809-1867),  originator  of  the  Berber  gen  zur  Heimath; 
Franz  Heinrich  Harter  (1797-1873),  founder  and  for  many 
years  rector  of  the  Deaconess  House  at  Strassburg;  Aug. 


ITS   SYSTEMATIC   DEVELOPMENT  79 

Gottlieb  Ferd.  Schultz  (1811-1875),  rector  of  Bethanien  in 
Berlin;  Otto  Gerhardt  Heldring  (1804-1874),  who  though  a 
Dutch  pastor,  was  very  influential  in  Germany  in  the  pro- 
motion of  Magdalen  homes;  Ludwig  Adolf  Petri  (1803- 
1873),  a  powerful  preacher,  and  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
Inner  Mission  Society  of  Hanover  and  of  the  Lutheran 
Gotteskasten ;  Johann  Karl  Heinrich  Frohlich  (1826-1881), 
the  eminently  gifted  and  successful  rector  of  the  Dresden 
Deaconess  House;  the  Christian  physician,  Aug.  Hermann 
Werner  (1808-1882),  a  pioneer  in  the  work  of  caring  for 
invalid  and  crippled  children  and  who  until  his  death  had 
housed  10,475  m  m's  institutions;  Gustav  Werner  (1809- 
1887),  another  friend  of  children,  and  founder  of  a  series  of 
benevolent  institutions;  Wilhelm  Baur  (1828-1897)  and  Carl 
Wilh.  Theo.  Ninck  (1834-1887),  remarkable  for  their  Inner 
Mission  labors  in  connection  with  St.  Ansgar's  Church, 
Hamburg,  and  elsewhere;  Julius  Disselhoff  (1827-1896), 
the  assistant  and  successor  of  Fliedner  at  Kaiserswerth; 
Johannes  Deinzer  (1842-1897),  instructor  in  the  Missionary 
Institute  at  Neuendettelsau,  and  assistant  and  successor  of 
Lohe  in  the  Motherhouse;  Karl  Krummacher  (1830-1899), 
the  active  promoter  of  young  people's  societies;  and  Joh. 
Sam.  Biittner  (1831-1905)  of  the  Deaconess  House  at 
Hanover. 

In  Denmark  HANS  KNUDSEN  (Jan.  n,  i8i3~Feb.  16, 1886) 
is  held  in  high  esteem  for  his  work  in  behalf  of  crippled 
children.  On  the  completion  of  his  theological  studies  he 
was  in  1837  sent  to  Tranquebar,  East  India,  as  a  missionary; 
but  as  neither  he  nor  his  wife  could  endure  the  climate  he 
returned  to  Copenhagen  in  1843.  After  serving  a  number 
of  congregations,  and  engaging  for  a  time  in  literary  work, 
he  became  pastor  of  the  Deaconess  House  at  Copenhagen. 
At  the  end  of  three  years  and  a  half  he  was  also  obliged  to 
relinquish  this  post  on  account  of  increasing  infirmities. 
But  his  work  was  not  yet  finished.  In  1872  he  one  day  saw 
a  little  girl  wearily  dragging  herself  along  on  a  pair  of  poor 
crutches.  This  incident  made  a  deep  impression  on  his 


80  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 

mind  and  led  him  to  organize  a  society  whose  object  it  was 
to  treat  crippled  children  by  means  of  surgery  and  ortho- 
paedic appliances,  and  to  give  them  such  industrial  training 
as  would  enable  them  to  become  self-supporting.  Soon 
adult  cripples  were  also  included  in  the  society's  operations. 
So  successful  was  its  work  that  it  attracted  widespread  at- 
tention and  rapidly  found  imitation  elsewhere.  Until  1904 
over  10,000  sufferers  had  been  benefited  by  the  society's 
efforts. 

In  Scotland  THOMAS  GUTHRIE  (July  12,  i8o3~Feb.  23, 1873), 
the  friend  of  Chalmers,  and  another  distinguished  divine 
and  eloquent  preacher  of  the  Free  Church,  became  interested 
in  the  neglected  condition  of  many  children  in  Edinburgh, 
where  he  was  pastor,  and  in  1847  issued  his  first  Plea  for 
Ragged  Schools.  In  these,  children  whose  poverty  and  ragged 
appearance  kept  them  out  of  other  schools  were  to  receive 
secular  and  religious  instruction.  The  movement  he  in- 
augurated spread  rapidly  over  Scotland  and  England,  and 
in  1884  the  Ragged  School  Union  was  formed,  the  president 
of  which  until  his  death  was  the  active  and  eminent  Christian 
statesman  and  philanthropist,  the  Earl  of  Shaftsbury  (1801- 
1885).  When  the  State  finally  made  the  work  of  the  ragged 
schools  superfluous  by  providing  a  sufficient  number  of  ele- 
mentary schools  for  all  classes  of  children,  the  Union  became 
active  in  other  directions;  known  to-day  as  the  Ragged 
School  Union  and  Shaftsbury  Society,  it  does  an  immense 
work  among  poor,  defective,  and  invalid  children,  combining 
with  its  care  of  the  body  a  large  measure  of  religious  instruc- 
tion and  spiritual  nurture. 

In  England  there  has  been  no  worthier  representative  of 
genuine  Inner  Mission  principles  and  practice  than  Dr. 
THOMAS  JOHN  BARNARDO  (July  15,  i845~Sept.  19,  1905), 
one  of  the  great  Christian  philanthropists  of  the  nineteenth 
century. 

Born  in  Dublin,  he  early  in  life  came  under  strong  religious 
influences,  and  resolved  to  become  a  medical  missionary 
to  China.  With  this  in  mind,  he  entered  the  London  Hospi- 


ITS   SYSTEMATIC  DEVELOPMENT  8 1 

tal,  in  1866,  as  a  student  of  medicine.  Soon  thereafter  an 
epidemic  of  cholera  broke  out  in  the  East  End;  and  when 
volunteers  were  called  for  to  serve  the  sick,  Barnardo  was  one 
of  the  first  to  respond.  This  gave  him  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  life  in  London's  slums.  Deeply  moved  by  the  poverty 
and  suffering  of  the  people,  and  especially  by  the  horribly 
neglected  condition  of  the  children,  he  resolved  to  do  for 
them  what  he  could.  When  the  epidemic  was  over,  he  con- 
tinued to  visit  the  poor  in  their  wretched  homes,  and  used 
his  Sundays  and  some  of  his  week-day  evenings  in  teaching 
a  few  ragged  urchins  the  truths  of  Christianity,  in  a  rough 
and  improvised  school-room,  in  Stepney,  which  had  once 
done  service  as  a  donkey-stable.  On  a  bitter  cold  night, 
towards  the  close  of  1866,  there  came  into  this  "school- 
room," for  shelter  and  warmth,  a  shoeless,  hatless,  shirtless 
little  fellow  named  Jim  Jarvis,  who  asked  to  be  permitted  to 
remain  all  night  by  the  fire,  on  the  promise  that  he  would  do 
no  harm.  To  this  Barnardo  objected,  and  told  the  boy  to 
go  home.  "  Got  no  home!"  was  the  quick  response.  "  Got 
no  home?"  exclaimed  Barnardo;  "  Be  off,  and  go  home  to 
your  mother;  don't  tell  me!"  "  Got  no  mother!"  replied 
the  boy.  "  Then  go  home  to  your  father,"  Barnardo  con- 
tinued. "  Got  no  father!"  said  the  little  fellow.  "  Got 
no  father?  But  where  are  you  friends?  Where  do  you 
live?"  "  Don't  live  nowhere;  got  no  friends!"  Further 
questioning  as  to  whether  there  were  any  other  such  forsaken 
and  homeless  boys  as  he,  brought  the  answer:  "  Oh  yes,  sir; 
lots — 'caps  on  'em;  mor'n  I  could  count."  To  prove  his 
statement,  the  boy,  at  Barnardo's  request,  led  him  into  the 
neighborhood  of  Petticoat  Lane,  and  there,  on  the  roof  of  an 
old  shed,  eleven  boys  were  found  asleep,  all  homeless,  with 
no  other  covering  to  protect  them  from  the  frosty  night  air 
than  the  thin,  ragged  clothing  they  were  wearing. 

Shortly  afterward  Barnardo  was  quite  unexpectedly 
called  on  to  speak  at  a  large  missionary  gathering  in  Agri- 
cultural Hall,  and,  in  the  course  of  his  remarks,  related  his 
extraordinary  adventure  under  the  guidance  of  little  Jim. 


82  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN   FORM 

The  story  found  its  way  into  the  newspapers,  and  came  to 
the  notice  of  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  who  sent  Barnardo 
an  invitation  to  dine  with  him  at  Grosvenor  Square.  At 
the  dinner-table  the  Earl  requested  Barnardo  to  repeat  the 
story  to  the  gentlemen  present.  They  listened  to  it  with 
interest,  but  received  it  skeptically.  There  was  only  one 
way  of  settling  the  difficulty :  to  convince  them  of  the  absolute 
correctness  of  his  statements  Barnardo  eagerly  agreed  to 
Lord  Shaf tesbury's  proposition  to  take  the  entire  company  to 
places  where  children  were  actually  to  be  seen  sleeping  out  of 
doors,  under  the  open  sky.  Cabs  were  ordered,  and  the  whole 
party,  in  evening  dress,  drove  off  to  the  squalid  quarters  of 
East  London.  Strangely  enough,  for  a  time  not  a  boy  could 
be  found.  Barnardo  began  to  feel  embarrassed,  when  a 
policeman  directed  him  where  to  look.  "  They'll  come  out 
if  you'll  give  'em  a  copper,"  the  officer  suggested.  "  A 
half-penny  a  head  was  offered,  and  then,  from  out  of  a  great 
confused  pile  of  old  crates,  boxes,  and  empty  barrels,  which 
were  piled  together,  covered  with  a  huge  tarpaulin,  seventy- 
three  boys  crawled  out  from  the  lair  where  they  had  been 
seeking  shelter  for  the  night."  Barnardo  had  proved  his 
case,  and  had  demonstrated  that  in  the  very  heart  of  this 
great  and  rich  city  there  were  thousands  of  children  without 
home  or  friend,  who,  by  day  and  by  night,  lived  in  the  streets. 
"All  London  should  know  this,"  remarked  the  Earl;  and  now 
the  Lord  had  wonderfully  brought  the  work  of  the  poor 
medical  student  to  the  notice  of  many  of  the  city's  leading 
philanthropists,  who,  in  the  years  to  come,  could  and  did 
render  it  most  effective  service. 

It  was  not  without  a  great  internal  conflict  that  Barnardo 
gave  up  his  cherished  plan  of  becoming  a  medical  missionary; 
but  after  much  and  long-continued  prayer  it  became  in- 
creasingly evident  to  him  that  God  meant  him  to  remain 
where  he  was,  and  continue  the  work  he  had  begun  among 
the  homeless  waifs  of  London.  The  first  money  he  received 
for  it — 6f d. — was  given  him  by  an  unknown  servant  girl  at 
the  close  of  the  missionary  meeting  in  Agricultural  Hall. 


ITS   SYSTEMATIC   DEVELOPMENT  83 

Soon  larger  gifts  came;  and  in  1867  the  first  of  the  "  Barnardo 
Homes "  was  opened  in  Stepney  Causeway.  And  what 
wonderful  things  God  wrought  subsequently  through  the 
instrumentality  of  His  devoted  servant!  When  Dr.  Barnardo 
died,  on  September  19,  1905,  there  were  121  branches,  with 
8493  boys  and  girls  under  their  care;  and  the  income  for 
1904  was  £187,509  (over  $900,000).  Every  twenty-four 
hours  13  children  were  admitted.  The  number  wholly 
maintained  in  1904  was  10,905.  Throughout  the  years  of 
their  existence  the  Homes  have  saved  over  60,000  "  unwanted  " 
destitute  children.  Over  17,000  have  been  emigrated  to 
Canada  and  South  Africa.  Less  than  ij  per  cent,  of  these 
have  proved  failures.  The  beautiful  Girls'  Village,  at 
Barkingside,  Ilford,  consists  of  64  cottages  and  9  other  build- 
ings; and  here  1200  girls  are  in  residence,  who  are  trained  in 
everything  that  tends  to  make  good  and  useful  women. 
The  total  amount  of  money  received  and  expended  by  Dr. 
Barnardo  for  his  various  undertakings  is  said  to  exceed 
fifteen  million  dollars. 

Here  is  a  record  of  successful  work  that  is  truly  marvelous. 
And  the  secret  of  it  all?  God  had  found  a  man  who  was  more 
than  a  great  organizer  and  executive,  and  whose  impulses 
were  not  merely  those  of  the  humanitarian,  namely,  a  man 
of  heroic  faith,  all  of  whose  efforts,  as  he  himself  said,  were 
"  watered  and  tended  in  the  spirit  of  prayer  and  of  love  to 
Christ."  And  God  gave  the  increase  not  only  in  material 
things,  and  made  of  the  Barnardo  institutions  not  simply  a 
social  and  philanthropic,  but  also  a  most  powerful  spiritual, 
agency.  Regarding  the  latter,  Barnardo  wrote:  "  A  purely 
moral  training  would,  doubtless,  restore  many  a  little  vaga- 
bond as  a  respectable  member  to  society;  but  the  Christian 
faith  desires  something  more  than  merely  social  or  even  moral 
reform.  If  nothing  more  than  this  is  gained,  I  am  sadly 
disappointed,  and  the  work  will  fail  of  its  most  enduring 
harvest.  My  heart's  desire  and  prayer  to  God  for  the 
children  is  that  they  might  be  SAVED  ;  not  only  for  the  present 
life,  but  also  for  the  life  to  come;  and  I  know  not  how  the 


84  THE  INNER  MISSION   IN   ITS  MODERN   FORM 

latter  can  be  effected,  except  through  such  an  education, 
prayerful  training,  and  example  as  shall  connect  each  child's 
heart  by  faith  and  love  with  the  person  of  Christ  as  a  crucified 
and  risen  Saviour.  Indeed,  I  have  little  confidence  in  any 
reformation  which  does  not  begin  in  the  heart,  and,  working 
outward  by  divine  grace,  change  and  renew  the  affections 
and  will  first,  and  then  influence  the  habits  and  conduct." 

This  is  so  pre-eminently  the  method  and  purpose  of  the 
Inner  Mission,  that  Dr.  Barnardo  may  well  be  enrolled 
among  its  most  illustrious  representatives,  though  having 
at  no  time  been  connected  with  the  great  movement  on  the 
Continent.  Like  all  the  men  conspicuously  associated  with 
said  movement,  he  was,  above  all,  a  Christian,  and  as  such 
laid  all  stress  upon  the  saving  efficacy  of  the  Word.  Hence 
the  large  place  which  the  Word,  and  faith,  and  prayer  oc- 
cupied in  his  work.  Nevertheless,  he  was  not  a  sentimental 
dreamer  nor  a  wild  enthusiast. '  His  undertakings  were  all 
carefully  planned  and  organized,  and  whilst  spending  much 
time  in  laying  his  needs  before  God,  he  was  said  to  be  the 
busiest  and  most  hard-working  man  in  London;  in  this 
respect  strikingly  like  our  own  Dr.  Passavant. 

The  man  who  in  the  Lutheran  Church  of  America  above  all 
others  deserves  to  be  called  an  Inner  Mission  leader  was  the 
Rev.  Dr.  WILLIAM  ALFRED  PASSAVANT  (Oct.  9,  i82i-June  3, 
1894).  He  was  the  first  to  attempt  the  introduction  of  the 
female  diaconate  in  America  (p.  98),  founded  orphanages  at 
Zelienople  and  Rochester,  Pa.,  hospitals  at  Pittsburgh, 
Chicago,  Milwaukee,  and  Jacksonville,  111.,  and  was  instru- 
mental in  establishing  the  Lutheran  orphanages  at  German- 
town,  Pa.,  Mt.  Vernon,  N.  Y.,  and  Boston,  Mass.,  and  the 
Emigrant  House,  now  at  No.  4  State  St.,  New  York  City. 
It  would  be  impossible  at  this  place  to  give  an  adequate 
account  of  the  missionary,  benevolent,  educational,  and 
editorial  labors  of  this  eminent  man  of  God;  and  for  this 
the  reader  is  therefore  referred  to  "The  Life  and  Letters  of 
the  Rev.  W.  A.  Passavant,  D.  D.,"  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  G.  H.  Ger- 
berding  (The  Young  Lutheran  Co.,  Greenville,  Pa.,  1906). 


j 


PASSAVANT 


ITS  ORGANS  85 

A  man  of  similar  type  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church 
was  the  Rev.  Dr.  WILLIAM  AUGUSTUS  MUHLENBERG  (Sept.  16, 
1776-April  8,  1877),  the  great-grandson  of  Heinrich  Melchior 
Muhlenberg,  patriarch  of  the  Lutheran  Church  in  America. 
Born  in  Philadelphia  and  baptized  in  the  Lutheran  Church, 
he  early  attached  himself  to  the  Episcopal  Church  because 
the  Lutheran  churches  of  his  native  city  at  that  time  used 
only  the  German  language,  with  which  he  was  not  familiar. 
After  his  ordination  in  1820  he  served  a  church  at  Lancaster, 
Pa.,  where  he  remained  six  years.  In  1846  he  entered  upon 
the  pastorate  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Communion,  New 
York,  having  in  the  meantime  given  himself  chiefly  to  the 
work  of  Christian  education.  Here  he  began  his  charitable 
activities.  The  two  great  Christian  philanthropies  with 
which  his  name  will  always  remain  most  intimately  associated 
are  St.  Luke's  Hospital,  New  York,  and  the  industrial 
settlement  at  St.  Johnland,  Long  Island. 


C.  Its  Organs 

"  Neither  money,  nor  houses,  nor  castles,  nor  estates  placed 
at  the  disposal  of  the  Inner  Mission,"  declared  Wichern, 
"  can  be  of  any  avail,  so  long  as  the  persons  are  wanting,  who 
with  consummate  skill  and  zeal  make  the  work  their  own." 
However  necessary  material  resources  ultimately  become, 
these  are  not  the  first  requisite.  The  provision  which  Jesus 
made  for  the  planting  of  His  kingdom  consisted  not  in  silver 
and  gold,  nor  in  an  elaborate  code  of  rules  and  regulations, 
but  in  men.  Those  whom  He  chose  for  this  purpose  were 
not  only  carefully  instructed  by  Him,  but  they  were  also 
plentifully  endowed  with  the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  and 
thus  furnished  they  went  forth,  and  in  obedience  to  His 
command  testified  of  Him  in  word  and  in  act  (John  15  :  26, 
27). 

Wichern,  indeed,  summoned  the  entire  body  of  believers 
into  the  service  of  the  Inner  Mission;  but,  like  Fliedner,  he 
also  saw  that  for  its  varied  activities  specially  trained  workers 


86  THE  INNER  MISSION   IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 

were  needed,  and  that  those  who  would  become  such  must 
possess  certain  natural  and  spiritual  endowments.  In  the 
tasks  which  the  Inner  Mission  imposes  zeal  without  knowl- 
edge, good  intentions  without  judgment,  impulses  that  are 
only  humanitarian,  and,  above  all,  mere  sentimentalism,  will 
not  suffice.  Among  the  natural  gifts  required  are  tact, 
discretion,  patience,  executive  ability,  a  fair  measure  of 
good  health,  and  a  mind  capable  of  grasping  both  principles 
and  practice.  But  special  training  can  only  then  make  these 
gifts  really  effective  when  they  are  the  possession  of  living 
believers,  whose  hearts  burn  with  love  to  their  Lord,  and  who 
regard  all  their  efforts  in  behalf  of  His  needy  brethren  in  the 
world  as  a  service  unto  Him. 

i.  THE  DIACONATE 

The  means  for  the  application  of  redemption  are  the  Word 
and  the  Sacraments  committed  by  Christ  to  His  Church. 
For  the  administration  of  these  means  He  instituted  the 
ministry  of  the  Word  (Matt.  28  : 19,  20;  Mark  16 : 15;  John 
20  :  21 ;  Eph.  4:  n,  12;  Augsburg  Confession,  Art.  V.).  To 
this  ministry  originally  also  belonged  the  administration 
of  the  Church's  external  affairs;  e.  g.,  the  reception  and  dis- 
tribution of  the  income  and  the  care  of  the  poor  (Acts  4 :  35- 
37;  5:2;  6:2);  but  when  the  rapid  growth  of  the  Church 
made  the  introduction  of  more  systematic  methods  neces- 
sary, and  compelled  a  division  of  functions,  the  ministry  of 
the  Word  (dtaxovta  TOO  M-yoo),  with  the  consent  of  the  Church, 
created  a  new  ministry  (dcaxovfa  y  xadrjusptv-rj,  the  "  daily 
ministration,"  or  "  every-day  ministry "),  since  known 
as  the  diaconate.  The  occasion  of  its  origin  is  narrated  in 
Acts  6 : 1-6.  When  an  apparently  unequal  distribution  of 
the  alms  caused  one  portion  of  the  congregation  at  Jerusalem 
to  murmur  against  the  other,  the  apostles,  in  order  per- 
manently to  remove  the  cause  of  complaint,  "  called  the 
multitude  of  the  disciples  unto  them,  and  said,  It  is  not  reason 
that  we  should  leave  the  Word  of  God  and  serve  tables. 


ITS  ORGANS  87 

Wherefore,  brethren,  look  ye  out  among  you  seven  men  of 
honest  report,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  wisdom,  whom 
we  may  appoint  over  this  business.  But  we  will  give  our- 
selves continually  to  prayer  and  to  the  ministry  of  the 
Word."  The  assembled  believers  did  as  they  were  bidden, 
and,  having  chosen  seven  men  with  the  required  qualifica- 
tions, set  them  before  the  apostles,  and  these,  "  when  they 
had  prayed,  laid  their  hands  on  them,"  i.  e.,  ordained  them  to 
serve  in  this  newly  created  office. 

To  this  ministry  of  mercy,  as  distinguished  from  the  min- 
istry of  the  Word,  were  primarily  committed  the  relief  of 
the  poor  and  sick,  and  the  oversight  of  the  Church's  tem- 
poral affairs,  under  the  supervision  of  the  ministry  of  the 
Word.  Nevertheless,  as  men  "  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
wisdom,"  but  only  as  a  secondary  function  of  their  office, 
some  of  the  deacons,  under  extraordinary  circumstances, 
also  performed  the  duties  of  the  ministry  of  the  Word. 
Thus  Stephen  preached  (Acts  7),  and  Philip  both  preached 
and  baptized  (Acts  8  :  5-40)  and  labored  as  an  evangelist 
(Acts  21  :  8). 

That  this  ministry,  chiefly  as  a  ministry  of  mercy,  soon 
found  its  way  from  Jerusalem  into  other  congregations  estab- 
lished by  the  apostles  is  evident  from  i  Tim.  3  :  8-10,  where 
Paul  enumerates  the  qualifications  which  deacons  should 
possess.  These  "  are  just  of  that  nature  to  fit  them  for 
mingling  with  the  church  in  most  familiar  relations,  to  ascer- 
tain and  relieve  the  wants  of  the  poorer  members  with  deli- 
cacy, appropriate  reticence,  and  freedom  from  temptation 
to  avaricious  greed.  It  is  noticeable  that  gravity,  honest 
words,  temperance,  unselfishness,  probity  in  themselves  and 
in  their  households,  and  an  honest  faith  outrank  '  aptness 
to  teach/  which  in  the  context  is  said  to  be  an  indispensable 
qualification  of  the  presbyter  or  bishop."1  Thus,  in  the  pecu- 
liar work  assigned  them,  "  the  deacons  became  the  first 
preachers  of  Christianity;  they  were  the  first  evangelists, 
because  they  were  the  first  to  find  their  way  to  the  homes  of 
1  BENNETT:  Christian  Archeology,  p.  330. 


88  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN   FORM 

the  poor.  They  were  the  constructors  of  the  most  solid  and 
durable  of  the  institutions  of  Christianity,  namely,  the  insti- 
tutions of  charity  and  beneficence." l 

The  purpose  of  the  primitive  diaconate  may  then  be  said 
to  have  been  the  following:  i,  To  relieve  the  ministry  of  the 
Word  of  the  more  or  less  distracting  cares  incident  to  the 
external  affairs  of  the  Church,  so  that  this  might  devote 
itself,  without  interruption,  to  its  own  proper  and  higher 
functions;  2,  to  provide  a  properly  authorized  and  accredited 
agency  for  the  administration  of  the  Church's  charities,  and 
for  the  performance  of  such  duties  as  might  be  assigned  it 
by  the  presbyters;  and  thus,  3,  to  serve  as  one  of  the  "  helps  " 
(i  Cor.  12 :  28)  of  the  ministry  of  the  Word  in  the  extension 
and  building  up  of  the  Church,  and  to  prepare  the  way  for 
said  ministry. 

The  primitive  diaconate  was  a  congregational  office  for 
the  administration  of  the  congregation's  charities.  But  as 
the  hierarchical  and  sacerdotal  principle  gained  ascendency 
in  the  Church,  the  position  and  functions  of  the  deacons 
underwent  a  change.  As  some  presbyters  became  "  bishops  " 
and  all  other  presbyters  "  priests,"  the  deacons  came  to  be 
regarded  as  Levites,  sustaining  the  same  relation  to  the 
"  priests  "  as  did  the  Levites  to  the  priests  of  the  old  dis- 
pensation. Though  continuing  for  quite  a  time  to  be  dis- 
pensers of  charity  and  visitors  of  those  in  distress,  this  be- 
came more  and  more  a  secondary  function  as  institutions  of 
mercy  for  the  relief  of  the  needy  kept  on  multiplying.  Fi- 
nally even  this  fell  away,  the  congregational  male  diaconate 
as  a  ministry  of  mercy  ceased  to  exist,  and  the  deacons  be- 
came a  sub-order  of  the  clergy. 

At  a  very  early  date  women  were  also  admitted  to  the 
diaconate.  The  necessity  for  this  arose  from  the  fact  that 
"  the  strict  seclusion  of  the  female  sex  in  Greece  and  in  some 
Oriental  countries  necessarily  debarred  them  from  the  minis- 
trations of  men."2  Less  than  thirty  years  after  the  institu- 

1  STANLEY:  Christian  Institutions,  pp.  210,  211. 
*LIGHTFOOT:    The  Christian  Ministry.    New  York,  p.  23. 


ITS  ORGANS  89 

tion  of  the  diaconate  Paul  speaks  of  one  Phebe,  "  our  sister, 
which  is  a  servant  (dtdxovos)  of  the  Church  which  is  at 
Cenchrea  "  (Rom.  16  :  i).  He  describes  her  office  and  work 
by  saying  that  she  had  been  a  succorer  of  many  and  of  him- 
self also;  and  therefore  asks  the  Christians  at  Rome  to 
"  receive  her  in  the  Lord,  as  becometh  saints,"  and  to  assist 
her  in  whatsoever  she  had  need  of  them.  Many  distin- 
guished commentators  agree  that  the  directions  given  by 
Paul  in  i  Tim.  3:11  refer  not  to  the  wives  of  the  deacons,  but 
to  women  deacons.  Thus  evidence  does  not  seem  to  be 
wanting  that  long  before  the  close  of  the  first  century  the 
Church  had  a  female  as  well  as  a  male  diaconate. 

Though  the  female  diaconate  appears  to  have  spread  with 
the  growth  of  the  Church,  we  find  but  a  single  reference  to  it 
between  the  apostolic  age  and  the  close  of  the  third  century. 
It  is  contained  in  the  well-known  letter  of  Pliny  the  Younger, 
Governor  of  Bithynia,  to  the  Emperor  Trajan,  written  soon 
after  A.  D.  100,  in  which  he  says:  "  In  order  to  get  at  the 
truth  of  the  matter  (i.  e.,  concerning  the  life  and  customs  of 
the  Christians)  I  deemed  it  necessary  to  put  to  the  rack  two 
maids,  who  are  called  ministry  (servants,  deaconesses). 
But  beyond  a  most  corrupt  and  boundless  superstition, 
I  could  extort  nothing  from  them." 

The  female  diaconate  reached  its  prime  during  the  fourth 
century  in  the  Eastern  Church,  and  now  references  to  it 
become  frequent.  Thus  very  full  information  regarding  the 
qualifications,  duties,  etc.,  of  deaconesses  is  found  in  that 
body  of  writings  known  as  the  Apostolic  Constitutions. 
According  to  this  document,  faithful  and  holy  women  were 
to  be  appointed  as  deaconesses  because  the  Church  had  need 
of  them;  and  the  bishop  was  to  induct  them  into  office  by 
prayer1  and  the  laying  on  of  hands,  in  the  presence  of  the 

1  Ordination  Prayer:  "  Eternal  God,  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
the  Creator  of  man  and  woman;  Who  didst  fill  with  the  Spirit  Miriam  and 
Deborah,  Hannah  and  Huldah;  Who  didst  not  disdain  that  Thine  Only- 
begotten  Son  should  be  born  of  a  woman;  Who  also  in  the  tabernacle  and 
in  the  temple  didst  appoint  women-guardians  of  Thy  holy  gates :  Do  Thou 
also  look  on  this  Thy  hand-maid,  now  being  set  apart  unto  service  («i<r  SKXACO- 
vuxv);  grant  unto  her  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  cleanse  her  from  all  defilement  of 


90  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 

presbyters,  the  deacons,  and  the  deaconesses.  They  were 
to  instruct  the  female  catechumens,  render  the  necessary 
external  assistance  at  their  baptism,  visit  and  relieve  the 
sick  and  needy  of  their  own  sex,  minister  to  the  confessors 
in  prison,  prepare  the  bodies  of  women  for  burial,  serve  as 
doorkeepers  at  the  women's  entrances  to  the  churches, 
assign  women  their  places  at  worship,  facilitate  communica- 
tion between  the  bishop  or  presbyter  and  the  female  members 
of  his  congregation,  and  in  general  engage  in  all  such  works 
as  heathen  sentiment  would  not  permit  the  deacons  to  do. 

Under  changed  conditions,  and  especially  with  the  growth 
of  monasticism,  the  female  diaconate  began  to  decline  soon 
after  the  close  of  the  fourth  century.  By  the  ninth  in  the 
Western  Church,  and  the  thirteenth  in  the  Eastern  Church,  it 
had  practically  ceased  to  exist.  Only  among  the  Waldenses 
and  the  Bohemian  Brethren  before  the  Reformation,  and  in 
some  Mennonite  congregations  of  Germany  and  Holland  after 
the  Reformation,  did  slight  traces  of  it  survive  before  its 
renewal  by  Fliedner  in  the  first  half  of  the  last  century. 

The  diaconate  of  to-day,  as  an  organ  of  the  Inner  Mission, 
is  the  same  in  purpose  and  character  as  that  of  the  Early 
Church.  It  is  a  ministry  of  mercy  in  Christ's  name  to  the 
needy  of  every  kind;  and  it  seeks  to  do  its  work  in  closest 
connection  with  the  Church  and  her  ministry  of  the  Word. 
In  form,  however,  it  differs.  It  is  no  longer  a  congregational 
office,  but  exists  in  the  form  of  voluntary  associations,  known 
as  brotherhoods  and  sisterhoods,  which  in  case  of  the  latter 
remain  permanently  attached  to  their  motherhouse.  Thus 
in  form  the  modern  diaconate  resembles  such  free  associa- 
tions of  mediaeval  times  as  the  Beghards  and  Beguines,  and 
the  Brethren  and  Sisters  of  the  Common  Life,  or  possibly, 
still  more,  the  Sisters  of  Charity  of  more  recent  times;  but 
without  the  delusion  of  work-righteousness  found  in  these. 

the  flesh  and  of  the  mind,  that  she  may  worthily  perform  the  work  com- 
mitted to  her,  to  the  honor  and  the  praise  of  Thy  Christ,  to  Whom,  with 
Thee  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  glory  and  adoration,  world  without  end. 
Amen." 


FRANCKE  ORPHANAGE  AT  HALLE 


RAUHES  HAUS  AT  HAMBURG 


ITS  ORGANS  pi 

a.  The  Modern  Male  Diaconate 

The  male  diaconate  in  its  modern  form  had  its  beginning 
at  the  Rauhe  Haus,  Hamburg.  There  Wichern  was  the  first 
to  introduce  the  so-called  "  family  system  "  into  child-saving 
work.  He  would  actualize  as  nearly  as  possible  the  Christian 
household  with  its  wholesome  atmosphere.  As  this  neces- 
sitated a  "  housefather  "  for  each  group  of  ten  or  twelve 
children,  he  began  the  training  of  men  not  only  for  his  own 
institution,  but  for  Christian  work  elsewhere.  Thus  origin- 
ated the  first  Diakonen-  or  Bruderhaus.  By  1845,  twelve 
years  after  the  opening  of  the  Rauhe  Haus,  twenty-five  such 
"  brothers  "  were  already  at  work  in  it,  whilst  no  less  than 
twenty-five  others  had  been  transferred  to  fields  of  labor 
elsewhere.  In  1844  Fliedner  founded  the  Diakonenhaus 
in  Duisburg.  The  cause  was  especially  advanced  by  Karl 
Ulrich  Kobelt  of  the  institutions  at  Neinstedt  (p.  76). 
To-day  there  are  seventeen  such  Diakonenhaus er  on  German 
soil,  with  over  3000  brothers. 

The  responsible  head  of  a  Diakonenhaus  is  an  experienced 
pastor,  who  is  aided,  as  circumstances  require,  by  younger 
men  who  have  had  training  in  theology,  and  by  experienced 
brothers.  The  more  external  affairs  of  the  house  are  looked 
after  by  a  board  of  managers.  The  institution  serves  both 
as  a  training-school  and  as  a  common  center  for  the  brother- 
hood. As  a  training-school  it  seeks,  above  all  things,  to 
develop  strong  Christian  characters.  The  specific  religious 
instruction,  the  churchly  life,  and  the  spirit  and  atmosphere 
of  the  house  are  all  made  to  contribute  to  this  end.  Among 
the  more  important  general  branches  taught  are  arithmetic, 
book-keeping,  composition,  and  singing,  sometimes  also 
instrumental  music.  To  this  is  added  a  course  on  the  history 
and  work  of  the  Inner  Mission,  with  special  reference  to  the 
history  and  work  of  the  particular  house  in  which  the  in- 
struction is  given.  All  the  Diakonenhauser  also  afford  ample 
opportunity  for  practical  work  of  many  kinds. 

Unlike  the  deaconesses,  the  deacons  do  not  remain  in  the 


92  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 

same  close  connection  with  the  house  in  which  they  were 
trained,  as  most  of  them  marry  and  set  up  their  own  house- 
holds. Nevertheless  their  own  training-school  continues  to 
be  also  the  common  center  for  the  brotherhood  of  that  house. 
The  contract  under  which  a  brother  goes  to  an  out-station  is 
mediated  by  the  housefather;  without  the  latter's  knowledge 
and  consent  a  brother  does  not  change  places;  in  case  of 
misunderstandings  and  friction  the  housefather  serves  as  the 
arbiter;  but  on  the  station  to  which  the  brother  is  called  he 
is  subject  entirely  to  the  local  authorities.  The  connection 
between  him  and  his  house  is,  however,  kept  alive  by  means  of 
letters,  conferences,  participation  in  anniversaries,  visits  of 
the  housefather,  etc. 

To  be  admitted  to  a  Diakonenhaus  a  man  must  be  between 
twenty  and  thirty  years  of  age,  no  longer  subject  to  military 
duty,  unmarried  and  unaffianced,  and  of  sound  body  and 
mind.  A  blameless  Christian  character,  a  fair  measure  of 
natural  gifts,1  and  willingness  to  engage  in  the  work  of  the 
Inner  Mission  with  conscientious  fidelity  are,  of  course,  in- 
dispensible  prerequisites.  Each  applicant  must  furnish  a 
sketch  of  his  life,  written  by  himself,  reliable  testimonials  of 
character,  especially  from  pastors,  a  physician's  certificate, 
the  written  consent  of  parents,  certificates  of  baptism  and 
confirmation,  and  his  army  papers.  The  first  few  months 
after  admission  are  regarded  as  a  probationary  period, 
which,  if  successfully  passed,  is  followed  by  the  regular 
course  of  training.  This  usually  lasts  about  three  years, 
after  which  the  candidate  is  solemnly  set  apart  for  his  work. 

The  fields  of  labor  in  which  deacons  or  brothers  are  en- 
gaged may  be  grouped  under  four  heads:  i,  Those  in  which 
they  are  charged  with  the  care  of  the  sick  and  decrepit;  2, 
those  in  which  they  serve  as  housefathers  of  Christian  inns, 
labor  colonies,  inebriate,  asylums,  and  the  like;  3,  those  in 
which,  as  housefathers,  they  are  also  required  to  do  a  certain 
amount  of  teaching,  as  in  child-saving  institutions,  homes  for 
the  feeble-minded,  idiotic,  and  epileptic,  and  schools  for  the 

»  Cf.  Acts  6:351  Tim.  3  :  8-10. 


ITS  ORGANS  93 

deaf  and  dumb,  the  blind,  and  other  defectives;  4,  those  in 
which  they  assist  the  ministry  of  the  Word,  as  city,  seamen's, 
and  diaspora  missionaries,  colporteurs,  etc.  To  meet  these 
varying  requirements  some  Diakonenhauser  lay  special  stress 
upon  this,  others  upon  another  kind  of  work;  while,  as  a  rule, 
nearly  all  are  directly  connected  with  some  institution  or 
institutions  in  which  the  candidates  can  obtain  the  largest 
measure  of  practice  in  the  particular  kind  of  work  to  which 
they  may  subsequently  devote  themselves. 

As  no  vows  are  exacted,  a  brother  may  relinquish  his  calling. 
Should  he  at  any  time  prove  himself  unworthy,  he  is  expelled 
from  the  brotherhood.  Since  1876  the  German  Diakonen- 
hauser are  associated  in  a  union  similar  to  the  Kaiserswerth 
Union  of  Deaconess  Houses.1 


b.  The  Modern  Female  Diaconate 

Just  as  Wichern's  name  is  indissolubly  linked  with  the 
modern  male  diaconate,  so  that  of  Theodor  Fliedner  will 
always  remain  associated  with  the  modern  female  diaconate. 
Though  others  (Pastor  Klonne,  Minister  vom  Stein,  Amalie 
Sieveking,  and  von  der  Recke-Vollmarstein)  had  greatly 
desired  the  renewal  of  woman's  ministry  in  the  Church  on  an 
evangelical  basis,  and  even  suggested  plans  for  bringing  this 
about,  it  was  Fliedner  who  accomplished  the  task  and  gave 
the  revived  female  diaconate  its  present  practical  and  efficient 
form. 

In  the  Early  Church  the  female,  like  the  male,  diaconate  was 
a  congregational  office.  Those  who  were  set  apart  to  it 
were  chosen  from  the  congregation  in  which  they  were  to 
serve;  and  beyond  having  the  required  spiritual  and  natural 
qualifications,  they  received  no  special  training  for  their 
work.  This  is  not  the  case  to-day.  Under  the  system 
introduced  by  Fliedner  the  deaconess  of  the  present  is  pre- 
pared for  her  calling  in  an  institution  known  as  the  mother- 
house,  and  to  this  she  remains  permanently  attached  as  a 

1  For  a  list  of  Diakonenhauser,  see  p.  236. 


94  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 

component  part  of  a  close  community  or  sisterhood.  It  is 
by  the  motherhouse  that  she  is  assigned  to  her  field  of  labor, 
and  from  the  motherhouse  that  she  gets  her  support.  The 
motherhouse  is  at  once  her  training-school  and  her  home, 
her  shelter  when  disabled,  and  her  retreat  in  old  age,  should 
she  remain  in  the  work  during  life. 

The  head  of  a  motherhouse  is  a  minister,  who  is  both  its 
pastor  and  rector  or  superintendent;  and  his  associate,  in 
the  scriptural  relation  of  the  diaconate  to  the  pastorate,  and 
the  woman  to  the  man,  is  a  Sister  Superior  (Oberin).  To 
these  is  committed  the  internal  management  of  the  house. 
"It  is  one  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  mother- 
houses  that  in  their  government  the  man  and  the  woman,  as 
divinely  ordered,  must  supplement  each  other;  because 
only  where  this  is  the  case  can  a  healthy  diaconate  be  pos- 
sible, and  those  conditions  be  supplied  without  which  the 
female  diaconate  would  have  small  value  for  churchly  com- 
munities." 1  The  pastor  conducts  the  daily,  Sunday,  and 
festival  services,  gives  much  of  the  instruction,  is  the  spiritual 
adviser  of  the  sisters,  consecrates  them  as  deaconesses, 
transacts  the  house's  business  with  outside  authorities  and 
associations,  edits  its  periodicals  and  reports,  serves  as  its 
chief  representative,  and  is,  above  all,  responsible  for  guiding 
its  policy  as  a  Christian  and  churchly  institution.  The 
Sister  Superior  concerns  herself  more  especially  with  the 
practical  training  of  the  sisters,  supervises  and  regulates  their 
work,  and  looks  after  the  general  management  of  the  house- 
hold. The  one  is  the  housefather,  the  other  the  house- 
mother; and  just  as  in  every  well-regulated  household  many 
questions  are  decided  jointly,  so  in  a  motherhouse.  An 
altogether  unique  office  is  that  of  the  Teaching  Sister  (Probe- 
meisteriri),  who  takes  charge  of  the  instruction  and  training 
of  the  candidates  before  they  become  regular  probationers. 
The  management  of  property  and  other  external  affairs  is 
vested  in  a  board  in  which  the  pastor  and  Sister  Superior 
have  a  voice  and  vote. 

i  WACKER:   The  Deaconess  Calling,  p.  74. 


ITS  ORGANS  95 

The  terms  of  admission  are  practically  the  same  in  all 
motherhouses.  The  applicant  must  be  between  eighteen 
and  thirty-six  (in  some  motherhouses,  forty)  years  of  age, 
possessed  of  an  unsullied  Christian  character,  an  intelligent 
mind  capable  of  further  development,  and  good  physical 
health.  Her  application  must  be  accompanied  by  a  brief 
autobiography,  the  written  consent  of  her  parents,  a  testi- 
monial from  her  pastor,  a  physician's  certificate,  and  her 
certificates  of  baptism  and  confirmation. 

The  first  year  in  the  motherhouse,  after  some  weeks  or 
months  of  preliminary  probation  to  test  one's  motives  and 
fitness  for  the  work,  is  largely  devoted  to  study,  though  the 
educational  and  disciplinary  value  of  a  fair  measure  of  prac- 
tical work  during  this  time  is  by  no  means  overlooked.  The 
course  of  study  includes  the  Holy  Scriptures,  the  doctrines, 
history,  and  cultus  of  the  Church,  and  the  history  of  the 
female  diaconate  and  the  exercise  of  mercy  from  apostolic 
times  to  the  present  day.  Candidates  who  are  deficient  in 
the  elementary  branches  also  receive  instruction  in  general 
history,  geography,  arithmetic,  grammar,  composition, 
needlework,  and  general  housework.  Much  attention  is 
given  to  singing,  and  subsequently  to  medical  and  surgical 
training,  so  that  those  who  devote  themselves  more  especially 
to  the  sick  will  also  acquire  the  requisite  knowledge  and  skill 
in  this  direction. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  course  of  study,  usually  at  the 
end  of  the  first  year,  the  candidate  who  has  so  far  really  been 
only  a  pupil,  enters  upon  the  second  stage  of  her  preparation, 
namely,  the  practical.  She  is  now  invested  with  the  special 
habit  or  dress  of  the  probationer;  with  few  exceptions, 
she  ceases  to  receive  specific  theoretical  instruction;  during 
the  years  that  follow  she  is  expected  to  study  and  investi- 
gate for  herself;  and,  to  awaken  the  largest  measure  of 
personal  interest  and  make  her  self-reliant,  she  is  often 
placed  in  positions  of  greater  or  less  responsibility.  If 
after  several  years  she  gives  sufficient  evidence  that  she  is 
both  outwardly  and  inwardly  well  prepared;  and  if  she  has 


96  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 

the  conviction  that  in  giving  herself  to  this  work  she  is 
following  an  inward  divine  call,  she  is  finally  consecrated  by 
prayer  and  the  laying  on  of  hands,  and  is  henceforth  a 
deaconess.  At  this  solemn  ceremony  she  makes  no  "  vow  " 
in  the  Romish  sense,  but  only  promises  conscientious  fidelity 
to  the  duties  of  her  calling.  She  retains  her  evangelical 
liberty  to  retire  from  the  sisterhood  should  circumstances 
make  this  necessary. 

As  the  work  of  a  deaconess  is  of  a  kind  that  often  makes 
large  demands  upon  her  spiritual  resources,  it  is  evident  that 
from  the  very  beginning  close  and  constant  attention  must 
be  given  to  the  inner  life.  Hence  every  well-organized 
motherhouse  seeks  to  nourish  this  life  and  to  develop  a  strong 
Christian  character  by  the  beauty  of  its  worship,  the  fre- 
quency and  variety  of  its  services,  the  abundant  preaching 
and  teaching  of  the  Word,  the  frequent  administration  of 
the  Holy  Communion,  and  faithful  pastoral  care  in  private, 
so  as  to  enable  its  sisters  to  meet  discouragements,  overcome 
difficulties,  endure  hardships,  and  retain  their  buoyancy  and 
freshness  of  spirit. 

Experience  has  shown  that  thus  far  the  institutional  form 
of  the  female  diaconate  is  not  only  the  best,  but  the  only 
possible  form  to  secure  permanent  results.1  Even  should  the 
deaconess  office  again  be  restored  in  every  congregation,  the 
motherhouse  would  still  remain  indispensable.  In  these 
days,  when  the  most  extraordinary  demands  are  made  upon 

1  This  is  abundantly  illustrated  in  the  experiment  made  by  Lohe,  of  Neuen- 
dettelsau.  In  1853  he  organized,  on  strictly  confessional  lines,  the  Lutheran 
Association  for  the  Promotion  of  the  Female  Diaconate.  This  association, 
consisting  of  six  women  and  eight  clergymen,  was  to  become  the  parent  of 
numerous  local  and  congregational  societies,  composed  of  properly  qualified 
women,  willing  to  devote  themselves  to  the  work  of  mercy  in  their  own  imme- 
diate locality,  without  being  attached  to  a  regularly  organized  motherhouse. 
But  Lohe  had  on  the  one  hand  overestimated  the  readiness  of  the  congrega- 
tions to  respond,  and  had  failed  on  the  other  to  recognize  the  need  of  system- 
atic and  uniform  training  and  management.  His  project,  therefore,  ended 
in  failure;  and  in  the  organization  of  the  Neuendettelsau  Motherhouse,  opened 
by  him,  May  9,  1854,  he  felt  himself  compelled,  in  the  main,  to  adopt  the 
Kaiserswerth  principles,  though  in  many  other  respects  he  impressed  upon  it 
the  profound  influence  of  his  own  personality.  Regarding  the  need  of  thorough- 
going organization,  much  may  also  be  learned  from  the  early  history  of  the 
Elizabeth  Motherhouse,  at  Berlin,  founded  by  Gossner. 


ITS  ORGANS  97 

all  classes  of  Christian  workers,  and  when  for  successful 
work  the  highest  degree  of  efficiency  is  necessary,  the  mother- 
house,  with  its  well-developed  organization,  its  churchly 
character,  its  systematic  instruction,  and  its  salutary  disci- 
pline, can  alone  furnish  to  the  Church  such  a  body  of  well- 
trained  women  as  she  needs  for  really  effective  service. 

The  ministry  of  a  deaconess  is  pre-eminently  a  ministry 
of  love  and  mercy,  and  her  field  of  labor  lies  wherever  sin 
has  left  its  tracks  and  human  needs  call  for  relief.  Her 
work  is,  therefore,  multiform.  She  has  in  our  day  become 
especially  prominent  in  the  care  of  the  sick,  for  the  reason 
that  woman's  peculiar  gifts,  when  properly  directed,  make  her 
a  most  capable  nurse.  Hence  fully  one-half  of  the  total 
number  of  deaconesses  are  found  at  work  in  hospitals,  homes 
for  the  aged  and  infirm,  institutions  for  the  feeble-minded 
and  epileptic,  etc.  Another  group  of  deaconess'  labors  may 
be  spoken  of  as  being  chiefly  educational.  Of  this  kind  is  the 
work  in  day  nurseries,  little  children's  schools,  girls'  schools, 
industrial  schools,  and  schools  for  the  training  of  domestics. 
A  third  group,  combining  in  a  measure  the  nursing  and 
educational  features,  is  represented  in  the  work  done  in 
connection  with  the  fallen,  or  with  those  whose  moral,  mental, 
and  even  physical  well-being  is  endangered  by  their  surround- 
ings. Such  service  is  rendered  in  reformatories,  Magdalen 
homes,  prisons,  shelters,  and  hospices. 

Necessary  and  important  as  is  the  work  in  institutions,  a 
still  wider  field  of  usefulness  lies  open  to  the  deaconess  in  the 
parish.  It  is  in  this  field  that  all  the  capabilities  of  a  sister 
are  called  into  most  active  play,  and  that,  in  connection  with 
and  under  the  direction  of  the  pastoral  office,  she  has  the 
most  abundant  opportunities  for  the  exercise  of  her  specific 
ministry.  It  will  be  a  blessed  day  indeed,  and  will  help  to 
solve  many  problems,  when  the  female  diaconate,  as  in  the 
Early  Church,  is  again  incorporated  into  the  organism  of  the 
congregation.  Here,  as  perhaps  nowhere  else,  will  its  work 
tell  in  numberless  directions,  and  even  the  unbelieving  be 
made  to  see  that  Christianity  is  a  life  and  not  a  mere  belief! 


98  THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 

To  the  late  Rev.  W.  A.  Passavant,  D.  D.,  belongs  the 
credit  of  having  made  the  first  attempt  to  transplant  the 
female  diaconate  to  American  soil.  He  visited  Kaisers- 
werth  in  1846,  studied  the  work  inaugurated  by  Fliedner, 
saw  some  of  its  beneficent  results,  and  resolved  to  begin 
similar  work  in  his  own  land  and  city.  Having  come  to 
an  agreement  with  Fliedner  for  a  number  of  sisters,  he 
returned  to  Pittsburgh,  and  in  the  spring  of  1848  rented  a 
house  in  Allegheny  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  deaconess 
hospital.  Being  subsequently  obliged  to  move,  he  secured 
another  property  in  Pittsburgh.  On  the  i;th  of  July,  1849, 
Fliedner  himself  having  arrived  with  four  sisters,  this  new 
place  was  solemnly  consecrated  as  an  "  Infirmary  for  the 
sick,  and  a  Motherhouse  for  the  training  of  Christian  deacon- 
esses for  hospitals,  asylums,  and  congregations  in  other  parts 
of  the  United  States."  For  various  reasons  the  hopes  enter- 
tained concerning  this  first  American  motherhouse  were 
never  realized.  Only  one  probationer  was  subsequently 
consecrated,  and  thus  matters  remained  until  the  motherhouse 
in  connection  with  the  Milwaukee  Hospital,  which  was 
likewise  founded  by  Dr.  Passavant,  became  an  accomplished 
fact  in  the  early  nineties. 

A  second,  and  this  time  successful,  effort  to  introduce  the 
female  diaconate  in  America  was  made  when,  in  1884,  a 
colony  of  seven  German  sisters  was  brought  to  Philadelphia 
to  take  charge  of  the  German  Hospital.  Here,  on  the  6th 
of  December,  1888,  the  beautiful  Mary  J.  Drexel  Home  and 
Philadelphia  Motherhouse  of  Deaconesses,  erected  and 
equipped  through  the  munificent  liberality  of  Mr.  John  D. 
Lankenau,  was  dedicated,  and  to-day  serves  not  only  as  the 
training-school  and  home  of  a  large  body  of  sisters,  but  also 
houses  an  old  people's  home,  a  children's  hospital,  a 
Christian  kindergarten,  a  training-school  for  Christian 
kindergartners,  and  a  dispensary,  and  in  addition  conducts 
the  Lankenau  School  for  Girls  in  separate  buildings.  Since 
the  work  was  inaugurated  here  it  has  taken  root  in  other 
parts  of  the  Lutheran  Church  in  America,  as  well  as  in  some 


Deaconess  Motherhouse 


Hospital 


Layton  Home  The  Rectory 

THE  INSTITUTIONS  AT  MILWAUKEE,  Wis. 


ITS   ORGANS  99 

of  the  other  ecclesiastical  bodies  of  the  land,  though  in  the 
latter  with  some  serious  modifications.1 


2.  ASSOCIATIONS 

In  the  twelfth  chapter  of  i  Corinthians  the  apostle  de- 
scribes the  ideal  working  Church  as  an  organism  in  which 
those  who  compose  it  are  "not  isolated  and  independent 
units,"  but  are,  like  the  members  of  the  human  body,  "mu- 
tually interdependent,"  each  using  his  particular  gift,  talent, 
or  station  for  the  common  good  of  all.  Were  this  ideal 
fully  realized  there  would  be  no  need  of  special  organiza- 
tions within  the  Church;  but  because  it  is  not,  such  organ- 
izations cannot  be  dispensed  with.  Hence  the  missionary, 
Church  extension,  Bible,  and  other  societies  that  have  in 
course  of  time  come  into  existence. 

Successful  effort  in  any  undertaking  requires  the  con- 
joint activity  of  those  who  are  specially  interested  in  it,  and 
who  make  it  an  object  of  close  study,  earnest  prayer,  and 
unremitting  endeavor.  Upon  this  principle  have  come  into 
being  the  numerous  Inner  Mission  societies.  In  all  the  work 
of  the  Inner  Mission  the  intelligent,  consecrated,  willing 
person  is  of  the  first  importance.  Those  who  undertake  it 
must  live  for  it  and  in  it;  and  only  those  are  likely  to  under- 
take it  who,  like  the  Good  Samaritan,  have  had  their  hearts 
stirred  by  what  they  have  seen  and  learned  to  know.  Large 
ecclesiastical  bodies,  not  always  to  a  man  fully  realizing  the 
need,  must  satisfy  many  minds,  are  often  divided  on  ques- 
tions, and  are  consequently  slow  to  move;  while  boards  ap- 
pointed by  these  are  liable  to  be  composed  of  persons  who 
have  other  interests,  who  often  know  little  of  the  work  com- 
mitted to  them,  and  whose  service  is,  therefore,  half-hearted 
and  perfunctory.  Far  better  does  it  seem,  therefore,  tnat 
those  who  have  been  touched  by  certain  needs,  who  are 
like-minded,  and  whose  hearts  are  aglow  for  service,  should 
do  their  own  organizing;  or,  in  other  words,  that  most  forms 

1  For  Motherhouse  statistics,  see  pp.  231-235. 


100         THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 

of  Inner  Mission  work  should  be  carried  on  through  the 
medium  of  free  associations.  Let  Council  and  Synods 
suggest,  and  Conferences  and  congregations  discuss,  but  let 
the  work  itself  take  such  form  as  may  be  most  expedient, 
and  as  will  enlist  the  best  forces  in  its  behalf. 

Besides  these  advantages  the  free  association  serves  vari- 
ous other  purposes.  Through  its  meetings  and  discussions 
it  becomes  an  educating  medium  and  an  inspirational  force 
for  its  members,  inasmuch  as  in  every  such  body  are  to 
be  found  one  or  more  persons  whose  special  studies  and 
extended  experience  give  their  opinions  and  utterances  the 
weight  of  authority.  The  free  association,  moreover, 
stands  for  one  definite  object,  represents  that  object  before 
the  public,  and  provides  the  means  for  its  support.  The 
latter  may  indeed  often  be  the  leading  function  of  large 
associations.  A  large  membership  does  not  always  mean 
a  large  actual  working  force.  Great  power  is  not  the  neces- 
sary corollary  of  great  numbers.  Quite  the  contrary.  The 
actual  planning,  directing,  and  doing  by  which  those  influ- 
ences are  set  in  motion  that  lead  to  vast  results  is,  as  a  rule, 
the  work  of  one  or  a  few  persons  of  deep  insight,  broad  out- 
look, and  great  spiritual  power,  around  whom  the  association 
gathers,  and  to  whom  it  brings  its  support  (Wichern,  Flied- 
ner,  Lohe,  von  Bodelschwingh,  Passavant). 

To  avoid  the  danger  of  becoming  latitudinarian  and 
separatistic  the  free  association  must  in  confessional  basis 
and  tendency  be  thoroughly  churchly.  In  other  words, 
it  must  be  in  and  of  the  Church.  The  disastrous  experience 
of  a  number  of  American  deaconess  houses  organized  on 
an  inter-denominational  basis  amply  demonstrates  the 
futility  of  endeavoring  to  do  effective  Inner  Mission  work 
on.  any  other  than  that  of  confessional  agreement  and  a  cor- 
rect and  sound  churchly  practice. 

In  the  history  of  the  Inner  Mission  the  Central  Committee 
for  the  Inner  Mission  of  the  German  Evangelical  Church l 
has  from  the  beginning  occupied  a  highly  prominent  place. 

1  See  pp.  ii,  68. 


ITS  ORGANS  IOI 

Until  disabled  by  disease  Wichern  himself  was  its  leading 
spirit  and  representative.  To  the  influence  and  direct 
cooperation  of  this  Committee  many  of  the  other  important 
associations  and  unions  owe  their  origin.  Since  1849  this 
same  Committee  has  arranged  for  and  held  thirty-three 
Inner  Mission  Congresses,  and  in  connection  with  each  a 
special  conference  for  workers  in  particular  departments  of 
Inner  Mission  labor,  thus  disseminating  a  vast  amount  of 
information,  and  awakening  a  lively  interest  in  the  cause  in 
all  parts  of  Germany.  Through  its  traveling  agents  the 
Committee  has  helped  to  promote  old  and  new  Inner  Mis- 
sion activities;  and  though  numerous  provincial  and  local 
associations  now  take  care  of  the  work  in  their  own  territory, 
the  Central  Committee  has  not  ceased  to  be  a  potent  force 
in  the  general  work. 

Especially  powerful  has  been  the  influence  of  the  Central 
Committee  through  its  numerous  publications.  The  first 
of  these  was  Wichern's  Denkschrift  (1849);  and  among  the 
more  important  ones  since  then  are  the  proceedings  of  the 
various  Inner  Mission  Congresses. 

The  members  of  the  Central  Committee  are  scattered 
all  over  Germany.  Its  business  affairs  are  conducted  by 
the  members  residing  in  Berlin,  who  meet,  as  an  Executive 
Committee,  once  a  month.  This  Committee  regularly 
receives  reports  from  numerous  societies  and  institutions. 
These,  together  with  its  own  proceedings,  it  publishes  every 
month  in  a  summarized  bulletin,  for  distribution.1 

The  first  Lutheran  Inner  Mission  society  in  America  was 
organized  in  Philadelphia,  May  9,  1902.  Since  then  similar 
societies  have  been  formed  in  New  York,  Pittsburgh,  Chicago, 
and  Minneapolis. 

1  For  a  list  of  general  and  special  associations,  unions,  etc.,  see  Statistik  der 
Inneren  Mission  der  deutschen  Evangelischen  Kirche,  Berlin,  Central-Aus- 
schuss,  1899,  PP-  355-369;  SCHAFER:  Leitfaden  der  Inneren  Mission,  4th 
ed.  Hamburg,  1903,  pp.  405-410. 


102         THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN  FORM 


3.  INSTITUTIONS 

The  institutions  of  the  Inner  Mission  have  not  inaptly 
been  called  its  workshops.  It  is  in  these  that  the  purposes 
of  many  of  the  associations  find  their  realization.  Some 
of  them  are  altogether  indispensable,  while  others  are  to  be 
regarded  only  as  temporary  abodes  and  makeshifts.  Of  the 
former  kind  are  those  for  the  spiritual  and  technical  training 
of  Inner  Mission  workers,  namely,  the  Deaconess  Houses  and 
the  Diakonenhauser ;  also  all  those  that  provide  a  permanent 
place  of  abode  for  the  homeless  and  friendless  aged,  incurable, 
crippled,  etc.  Of  a  different  character  are  the  institutions 
whose  chief  purpose  is  the  cure  of  moral  and  physical  ills. 
To  this  class  belong  child-saving  institutions,  reformatories, 
Magdalen  homes,  inebriate  asylums,  hospitals,  etc.  These 
are  not  meant  to  be  permanent  homes,  but  only  a  passing 
means  to  an  end.  In  the  case  of  the  imperiled  and  fallen 
this  end  is  the  development  of  a  stable  Christian  character; 
in  that  of  the  sick  their  restoration  to  health  under  influences 
that  at  the  same  time  will  also  bring  a  benefit  to  the  soul. 
The  need  for  institutions  of  this  kind  arises  from  abnormal 
conditions  in  the  family  and  in  society.  The  more  nearly 
the  family  and  society  approach  the  ideal  state,  and  the  more 
completely  they  fulfil  their  God-given  obligations,  the  less 
will  such  institutions  be  required. 

The  internal  administration  of  all  Inner  Mission  institu- 
tions should  invariably  be  committed  to  persons  who  have 
made  a  study  of  the  Inner  Mission  subject,  and  who,  if  pos- 
sible, have  had  some  experience  in  the  particular  branch  of 
work  to  which  they  are  called.  Besides  having  the  requisite 
knowledge  and  natural  qualifications,  they  must,  of  course, 
possess  a  strong,  well-rounded  Christian  character  that  does 
not  easily  yield  to  discouragements,  and  that  by  its  very 
example  will  help  to  mold  the  character  of  others.  Given 
the  right  kind  of  person  or  persons  at  the  head  of  an  institu- 
tion, having  clear  and  sound  views  as  to  the  policy  it  ought 
to  pursue,  boards  and  associations  should  not  interfere  with 


ITS   ORGANS  103 

its  strictly  internal  affairs,  but  should  hold  themselves  respon- 
sible chiefly  for  its  material  well-being. 

4.  OFFICIAL  REPRESENTATIVES 

By  official  representatives  are  meant  those  who  serve  the 
Inner  Mission  in  the  capacity  of  leaders.  Schafer  distin- 
guishes five  groups  of  these:  i,  Clergymen  who  serve  as 
pastors  and  rectors  of  institutions,  chiefly  of  Diakonen  and 
Deaconess  Houses;  to  an  extent  also  of  other  institutions 
having  an  educational  character,  like  houses  of  refuge, 
institutions  for  the  deaf  and  dumb,  the  idiotic,  etc.;  2, 
clergymen  whose  specialty  is  the  promotion  of  some  par- 
ticular branch  of  Inner  Mission  work,  e.  g.,  that  of  Bible 
societies,  prison  societies,  etc.,  and  for  which  men  are  chosen 
not  so  much  on  account  of  the  superior  pastoral  qualifications 
required  in  heads  of  institutions  as  for  their  ability  to  pre- 
sent their  cause  effectively  in  sermons  and  public  addresses; 
3,  clergymen  who  direct  the  work  of  city  missions;  4,  clergy- 
men who,  as  general  secretaries  of  associations,  travel  from 
place  to  place  to  present  the  Inner  Mission  cause  over  an 
entire  province  or  country;  5,  candidates  for  the  ministry 
who,  under  the  oversight  and  direction  of  those  mentioned 
in  groups  i  to  4,  aid  these  in  their  work.1 

In  a  restricted  sense  the  term  "  official  representative  " 
(Vereinsgeistlicher)  is  often  applied  only  to  those  designated 
in  group  4.  A  clergyman  serving  in  this  capacity  must  be 
the  Inner  Mission  specialist  in  his  territory.  He  must 
have  a  theoretical  and  practical  understanding  of  the  sub- 
ject, be  accurately  informed  on  the  conditions  and  needs  of 
his  field,  keep  in  close  touch  with  the  pastors  of  his  province, 
be  able  to  give  needed  advice,  information,  and  aid,  espe- 
cially when  new  work  is  to  be  undertaken,  and  thus,  so  to  say, 
be  the  incarnation  of  the  association's  purposes.  He  needs, 
moreover,  to  be  a  man  of  wide  outlook,  good  judgment,  and 
entire  consecration;  a  quick  worker,  a  ready  speaker,  and  a 

1  See  SCHAFER:  Leitfaden  der  Inneren  Mission,  4th  ed.,  p.  375. 


104         THE   INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS   MODERN   FORM 

cultured  gentleman.  Nevertheless  amid  the  multiplicity 
of  his  labors  he  must  always  manage  to  find  time  for  intellec- 
tual and  spiritual  growth.  The  first  such  representative 
was  appointed  by  the  Rhenish  Provincial  Association  at 
Langenberg  in  I84Q.1  As  the  number  increased  a  Confer- 
ence was  formed  which  met  in  Magdeburg  in  1870,  in  Leipzig 
in  1874,  and  in  Hanover  in  1878.  In  1881  this  Conference 
was  reorganized  and  enlarged  so  as  to  include  official  repre- 
sentatives of  every  kind,  and  this  now  meets  every  two 
years,  alternating  with  the  Inner  Mission  Congress. 

A  most  valuable  means  for  disseminating  information  and 
winning  new  recruits  for  the  work  are  the  so-called  In- 
structionskurse,  corresponding  to  our  American  Summer 
Schools.  The  first  was  given  in  Berlin  in  1886,  and  since 
then  a  long  series  of  such  "  Courses  "  have  been  held  in  all 
parts  of  Germany,  lasting  in  each  case  from  eight  to  fourteen 
days,  attended  by  pastors,  theological  students,  members 
of  boards,  and  others,  and  covering  in  the  instruction  almost 
every  phase  of  the  Inner  Mission  subject.  Not  a  few  pro- 
fessors of  theology  likewise  treat  the  subject  in  their  lectures; 
and  the  time  seems  near  at  hand  when  it  will  be  a  fully  recog- 
nized and  regularly  taught  branch  of  Practical  Theology. 
In  America  this  is  already  the  case  in  the  Theological  Semi- 
naries of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  at  Chicago,  Phila- 
delphia, and  Columbus,  O. 

5.  VOLUNTEER  HELPERS 

The  official  administration  of  charity  in  the  Apostolic 
Church  by  deacons  and  deaconesses  by  no  means  operated 
to  exclude  others  from  participation  in  the  labor  of  Christian 
love.  The  very  life  of  the  Church  throughout  was  a  life 
of  self-sacrificing  love.  The  first  believers  at  Jerusalem 
"  had  all  things  common,  neither  said  any  of  them  that 
ought  of  the  things  which  he  possessed  was  his  own  "  (Acts 

1  For  a  list  of  the  so-called  "  Theologische  Berufsarbeiter"  in  1898  see 
Statistik  der  Inneren  Mission,  pp.  374-382.  Since  then  some  changes  have 
taken  place,  but  later  complete  statistics  are  not  at  hand. 


ITS  ORGANS  105 

2  : 44;  4  :  32).  When  this  same  congregation  afterward  came 
to  be  in  great  distress,  their  need  was  supplied  by  other 
churches  (Rom.  15  :  26;  2  Cor.  8  : 1-3;  9:2,  12).  Brethren 
and  strangers  bore  witness  before  the  Church  of  the  charity 
of  Gaius  (3  John  5,  6).  Aquila  and  Priscilla  are  of  Paul 
called  his  "  helpers  in  Christ  Jesus  "  (Rom.  16  :  3).  He  tells 
us  that  Euodias  and  Syntyche  labored  with  him  in  the  Gospel 
(Phil.  4  :  2,  3);  and  that  Tryphena,  Tryphosa,  and  Persis 
''labored  much  in  the  Lord"  (Rom.  16  112).  Stephanas 
and  his  household  "  addicted  themselves  to  the  ministry 
of  the  saints  "  (i  Cor.  16  : 15);  and  Tabitha  was  a  woman 
"  full  of  good  works  and  almsdeeds  which  she  did  "  (Acts 
9  :  36-42).  In  all  these,  sincere  love  of  their  Lord  enkindled 
glowing  zeal  for  service.  So  should  it  be  among  believers 
to-day.  The  presence  of  a  deaconess  in  a  congregation 
or  the  existence  of  an  institution  in  a  community  must  not 
blight  individual  endeavor.  Rather  let  these  and  what  they 
represent  incite  to  greater  zeal  and  increased  effort.  Even 
the  possessor  of  the  one  talent  is  to  put  it  to  use,  much  more 
so  those  who  have  received  two  or  five. 

6.  MATERIAL  SUPPORT 

Though  properly  qualified  persons  and  not  things  are  the 
first  and  essential  requisite  in  Inner  Mission  work,  money 
for  its  support  speedily  becomes  a  very  necessary  factor. 
How  shall  this  be  obtained? 

Some  point  to  the  example  of  Ludwig  Harms  and  George 
Miiller,  and  say:  "  Ask  the  Lord  only,  as  did  these,  and  then 
wait  believingly  for  His  help."  Not  so  St.  Paul.  That 
man  of  great  faith,  whose  epistles  constantly  testify  to  the 
need  and  value  of  prayer,  did  not  hesitate  in  the  least  to 
invite  contributions  for  the  needy  saints  at  Jerusalem 
(Rom.  15  :  25-28;  i  Cor.  16  : 1-4;  2  Cor.  chaps.  8  and  9; 
Gal.  2  : 10),  and  even  gave  minute  directions  as  to  the  manner 
of  giving  (i  Cor.  16  :  2;  2  Cor.  9:7;  8  :  12;  Rom.  12  : 8). 
Indeed  he  and  his  fellow-laborers  themselves  undertook  the 


106         THE  INNER  MISSION  IN  ITS  MODERN   FORM 

work  of  collecting,  and  devoted  a  large  measure  of  time  to  it. 
Thus  "  the  greatest  of  theologians,  the  profoundest  of  think- 
ers, the  most  skilful  and  conclusive  of  reasoners,  the  most 
aggressive  of  missionaries,  combined  with  these  distinctions 
the  highest  qualities  as  an  organizer  and  as  a  thoroughly 
practical  business  man.  The  most  careful  attention  to 
details  and  the  most  exquisite  tact  are  displayed  in  his 
conduct  of  the  measures  needed  to  supply  the  wants  of  the 
impoverished  Christians  at  Jerusalem.  As  a  minister  of  the 
Gospel  and  even  as  an  Apostle,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  under- 
take, when  the  call  was  pressing,  what  may  be  regarded  as 
the  secular  side  of  church  work;  and  to  whatever  he  under- 
took, he  devoted  himself  with  all  the  concentration  of  energy, 
persistency  of  purpose,  and  earnest  thought  that  distin- 
guished him  in  other  spheres.  His  faith  in  no  way  paralyzed, 
but  only  stimulated  his  attention  to  system  and  close  study 
of  the  adaptability  of  various  plans  to  the  attainment  of  his 
end.  Every  plan  of  Paul  is  flexible,  and  seeks  to  adapt  itself 
to  circumstances  of  time  and  place,  and  the  peculiarities  of 
those  with  whom  he  had  to  deal." 1 

The  example  of  Paul  sufficiently  indicates  how  the  material 
support  of  all  Inner  Mission  undertakings  is  to  be  secured. 
Praying  and  working  must  go  together.  Wichern  and 
Fliedner  and  Passavant  and  many  others  were  not  less  be- 
lieving because  they  asked  men  as  well  as  God  for  a  portion 
of  this  world's  goods  for  their  work,  and  added  many  weari- 
some journeys  and  incessant  toils  to  their  prayers.  There 
is  also  a  business  side  to  the  affairs  of  the  kingdom  of  God; 
and  he  is  most  likely  to  obtain  the  divine  blessing  in  answer 
to  his  prayers  who  also  knows  how  to  touch  hearts  and  to  win 
confidence  by  a  straight-forward,  honest  presentation  of, 
his  cause,  and  its  methodical,  economical,  and  business-like 
management. 

It  is  then  the  principle  of  free-will  offerings  as  laid  down  by 
the  Lord  Himself  (Luke  6  : 35,  38),  and  emphasized  by  the 

JACOBS:  The  Lutheran  Commentary:  Annotations  on  i  Corinthians, 
p.  147. 


aBHBMMii^^ 

DEACONESS  HOSPITAL  AT  JERUSALEM 


Deaconess  House  Bethesda  Hospital  Old  People's  Home 

SWEDISH  INSTITUTIONS  AT  ST.  PAUL,  MINN. 


ITS  ORGANS  107 

Apostle  that  must  be  observed  in  seeking  the  means  for 
Inner  Mission  work.  With  this  principle  many  of  the 
methods  in  vogue  to-day  for  raising  funds  for  church  and 
charitable  purposes  are  absolutely  in  conflict.  As  little  as  a 
congregation  can  afford  to  do  so,  so  little  can  an  Inner  Mis- 
sion "institution,  if  it  wishes  to  preserve  its  Christian  char- 
acter and  spiritual  life,  afford  to  fill  its  treasury  from  the 
proceeds  of  fairs,  bazaars,  charity  balls,  and  the  like. 

Some  Inner  Mission  institutions,  like  hospices  and  Ber- 
bergen ,  are  in  whole  or  hi  part  self-sustaining;  others  derive 
some  of  their  support  from  various  industries  connected  with 
them;  but  in  the  end  the  bulk  of  the  means  for  most  of  them 
must  come  from  free-will  offerings;  and  the  larger  the  number 
of  contributors  to  any  given  cause,  the  greater  is  the  prob- 
ability of  its'  permanent  maintenance. 

Summary. — Among  the  organs  of  the  Inner  Mission  the 
professional  workers  (clergymen,  deacons,  and  deaconesses) 
are  the  regulars;  the  numerous  large  and  small  associations 
furnish  the  volunteers  and  the  material  support;  the  insti- 
tutions provide  the  fields  of  labor  and  the  tools.1 

»  SCHAFER. 


PART  SECOND 


FORMS   OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

I.  The  Propagation  of  the  Gospel 

THOUGH  the  Church  must  ever  demonstrate  her  faith  by 
her  love,  and  neglect  no  opportunity  to  minister  to  men  in  all 
their  needs,  her  first  concern  must  be  for  men's  spiritual 
well-being.  The  means  committed  to  her  for  bringing  this 
about  is  the  Gospel.  Hence  the  Inner  Mission,  in  all  its 
work,  gives  the  pre-eminence  to  the  Word  as  the  instrument 
employed  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  edify,  strengthen,  and  pre- 
serve believers,  arouse  the  indifferent,  admonish  the  im- 
penitent, and  lift  up  the  fallen;  and  to  disseminate  the  Word 
as  widely  as  possible  it  makes  use  of  various  channels  and 
agencies. 

a.  EVANGELIZATION 

It  is  in  his  Denkschrift  that  Wichern  makes  the  now  famous 
remark  that  the  Gospel  must  again  be  preached  from  the 
housetops.  "  It  must  be  freely  offered  and  magnified  in  the 
market-places  and  on  the  streets,  if  the  masses  cannot  be 
reached  in  any  other  way;  and  this  must  be  done  in  a  fresh, 
vigorous,  stimulating  manner,  so  that  all  may  again  hear 
the  preached  Word,  and  that  what  has  to  thousands  become 
something  antiquated  and  useless,  may  again  have  a  chance  to 
become  their  new  and  precious  possession.  Whatever  else 
may  be  done  to  reach  the  masses,  there  are  thousands  to 
whom  no  other  way  is  open,  because  market-place  and  street 
are  their  habitat.  This  is  especially  true  of  the  large  cities, 

108 


PROPAGATION  OF  THE   GOSPEL  ICX) 

and  of  that  class  of  laborers  who,  like  the  workmen  on  rail- 
roads, constitute  a  species  of  wandering  colonies.  Our 
Church  must  have  its  itinerant  and  street  preachers;  col- 
porteurs and  the  printed  Word  should  precede  and  follow  or 
accompany  these,  so  that  the  Word  may  become  effective 
in  sermon,  in  conversation,  and  in  printed  form.  According 
to  the  principles  we  have  already  enunciated,  and  in  the  very 
nature  of  the  case  it  is,  of  course,  evident  that  such  preachers 
would  not  be  expected  to  organize  new  congregations.  Their 
task  would  be  to  win  back  into  the  ranks  of  the  living  members 
of  the  organized  congregation  those  who  have  fallen  away; 
to  stand,  as  it  were,  before  the  church  doors  and  give  the 
invitation  to  enter;  to  proclaim  the  saving  Gospel  with  fer- 
vent love  to  the  neglected  masses;  to  awaken  the  desire  for 
renewed  fellowship  with  the  communion  of  saints  in  whom 
Christ  dwells  only  to  bless;  to  set  forth  the  satisfaction  to  be 
found  in  such  fellowship;  and  to  point  again  to  the  ever- 
ready  Table  of  the  Lord.  Thus  would  such  preachers  in 
reality  cooperate  with  settled  pastors  and  promote  their 
work;  and  the  need  for  them  would  diminish  in  proportion 
as  congregations  and  the  Church  gained  in  spiritual  health."1 

Elsewhere  in  the  Denkschrift  Wichern  declares  that  it 
must  be  the  final  aim  of  the  organized  Church  and  the  Inner 
Mission  to  see  to  it  that  in  the  end  there  be  not  one  within 
the  bounds  of  the  entire  evangelical  Church  to  whom  the  pure 
Word  of  God  has  not  come  in  the  manner  best  suited  to  him, 
and  to  whom,  even  without  his  desire,  the  opportunity  to  hear  it 
has  not  been  offered?  Again,  at  another  place,  he  says:  "If 
the  proletarians  no  longer-  seek  the  Church,  the  Church  must 
begin  to  seek  them,  and  not  rest  until  she  has  found  them 
with  the  saving  Word."  3 

How  to  revive  those  who  were  once  of  the  Church  but 
who  have  become  indifferent,  and  reach  the  large  number 
within  Christendom  who  have  never  had  any  connection 
whatever  with  the  Church,  has  always  been  a  most  per- 

1  Gesammelte  Schriften.  Vol.  iii,  pp.  324,  325. 
*  Ibid,  p.  307.  » Ibid,  p.  229. 


IIO  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

plexing  problem.  In  suggesting  itinerant  and  street  preach- 
ers Wichern  had  in  mind  the  evangelists  of  the  Apostolic 
Church1  (Acts  21:8;  Eph.  4:11;  2  Tim.  4:5),  who,  as  travel- 
ing missionaries,  charismatically  endowed,  and  as  the  assist- 
ants of  the  apostles  and  chiefly  under  their  direction,  went 
about  from  place  to  place  preaching  the  Gospel,  or  Evangel, 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  now  to  those  who  were  still  strangers 
to  it,  then  again  to  those  who  had  already  embraced  it. 
But  the  ideal  which  Wichern  had  before  his  mind  has  never 
yet  been  realized.  With  the  question  of  an  adequate  agency 
for  reaching  the  masses  still  unsolved,  it  is  not  surprising 
that  amid  the  rapidly  changing  conditions  of  modern  life 
the  Church  has  lost  her  hold  upon  large  numbers  whom  she 
could  once  claim  as  her  own,  and  that  to  thousands  of  others 
she  has  never  stood  in  the  relation  of  a  spiritual  mother.2 

In  Protestant  Germany,  where  everyone  is  presumed  to 
be  baptized  and  confirmed,  and  thus  to  be  at  least  in  the 
external  communion  of  the  Church,  evangelization  has  for 
its  purpose  the  reclamation  of  the  lapsed  and  the  vivification 
of  the  lukewarm.  It  is  thus,  when  properly  conducted,  in 
the  truest  sense  Inner  Mission,  i.  e.,  mission  within  the 
Church.  The  great  need  for  such  work  becomes  apparent 
when  it  is  remembered  that  in  Germany  there  are  large 
numbers  in  all  the  ranks  of  society  who,  under  the  influence 
of  rationalistic  and  socialistic  teachings,  have  lost  all  interest 

1  "For  the  solution  of  this  problem  we  again  need  evangelists  t  just  as  in 
apostolic  times  these,  e.  g.,  preceded  the  apostles  into  Samaria,  and  were 
their  pioneers  in  the  extension  of  the  kingdom  of  God." — Gesammelte  Schriften. 
Vol.  iii,  p.  1174. 

2  Thus,  to  speak  only  of  our  own  land,  it  is  estimated  that  in  1908,  put  of  a 
population  of  about  85,000,000  in  the  United  States,  51,954,858  were  in  some 
way  identified  with  the  various  churches  and  religious  societies,  evangelical, 
non-evangelical,    Roman    Catholic,    etc.     Of  this   number   22,187,887   were 
counted  as  Protestant   communicants,   and  8,373,975   as  Roman   Catholic. 
This,  according  to  the  rule  laid  down  by  the  United  States  religious  census 
agent,  would  indicate  a  Protestant  population  of  all  shades  of  37,719,407,  and 
a  Roman  Catholic  population  of  14,235,451.     In  other  words,  out  of  a  total 
estimated  population  of  85,000,000  only  30,561,682,  including  Roman  Catho- 
lics, are  communicants,  while  33,000,000  have  no  affiliation  whatever  with 
any  part  of  the  Christian  Church. — See  Art.  by  Dr.  NICUM:  Lutheran  Church 
Review,  July,  1909.     The  statistics  for  1910  do  not  materially  change  the 
proportions. 


PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL         III 

in  the  Church,  and  who,  in  many  cases,  actually  despise 
God's  Word  and  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel.  And  the  said 
need  assumes  still  larger  proportions  in  view  of  the  Church's 
inadequate  provision  to  meet  it.  For  really  effective  work 
there  are  neither  enough  churches  nor  pastors.  Especially 
is  this  the  case  in  the  large  cities  where  parishes  are  often 
found  numbering  from  30,000  to  75,000  souls,  with  only 
three  or  four  pastors  to  care  for  them.  Adding  to  this  the 
further  circumstance  that  over  against  these  abnormal  con- 
ditions the  State  Churches,  with  their  differing  tendencies 
in  doctrine  and  practice,  can  present  no  united  front,  it 
ceases  to  be  a  matter  of  surprise  that  those  in  whose  hearts 
the  Gospel  is  a  living  power  are  casting  about  for  a  remedy. 

The  really  satisfactory  remedy  has,  however,  not  yet  been 
found.  What  is  to-day  known  hi  Germany  as  evangeliza- 
tion does  not  differ  very  widely  from  similar  movements  in 
England  and  America.  Indeed,  we  may  trace  the  first 
strong  impulse  it  received  to  the  meetings  held  by  Moody 
and  others  in  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  during 
the  seventh  and  eighth  decades  of  the  last  century.  Besides 
various  pastors  who  have  been  active  along  similar  lines 
(Schrenk,  von  Schlumbach,  Keller,  Paul,  Rappard,  and 
others),  the  chief  promoters  of  evangelization  to-day  are 
the  Komitee  fur  evangelische  Gemeinschaftspflege  (1890), 
the  Eisenacher  Bund  (1905),  the  Gnadauer  Konferenz  (1888), 
the  Blankenburger  Konferenz  (1886),  and  the  Kirchlich- 
soziale  Konferenz;  but  with  the  exception  of  the  second  and 
last  named,  the  general  tendency  of  these  directing  bodies 
may  be  said  to  be  separatistic  and  sectarian,  and  hence 
they  do  not  receive  much  encouragement  from  the  conserva- 
tive and  confessional  elements  of  the  Church. 

Evangelistic  effort  in  Germany  has  resulted  in  the  so- 
called  Gemeinschaftsbewegung;  i.  e.,  those  who  have  come 
under  its  influence  have  formed  themselves  into  numerous 
small  unions  after  the  manner  of  the  conventicles  of  the 
Pietistic  period,  which  meet,  as  a  rule,  once  a  week,  mostly 
in  private  houses,  for  the  study  of  God's  Word  and  prayer. 


112  FORMS   OF   INNER   MISSION   ACTIVITY 

By  far  the  greater  number  owe  their  existence  to  laymen, 
and  over  two-thirds  are  conducted  by  laymen.  Regarding 
these  unions  widely  different  views  are  expressed.  On  the 
one  hand  it  is  maintained  that  they  are  the  best  protection 
against  sectarianism,  that  those  who  belong  to  them  become 
the  most  faithful  and  active  members  of  the  Church,  and  that 
they  serve  as  an  aid  to  the  pastor  and  as  a  quickening  leaven 
in  the  congregation.  On  the  other  hand  they  are  accused 
of  begetting  spiritual  pride,  doctrinal  laxity,  and  indifference 
toward  the  organized  Church  to  such  an  extent  as  to  make 
them  a  travesty  on  true  religion,  and  that  thus  sectarianism 
finds  in  them  the  best  soil.  With  such  divergent  views  on 
the  subject  it  is  evident  that  Protestant  Germany  has  not 
yet  discovered  a  generally  satisfactory  way  of  reaching  and 
reviving  the  lapsed  and  indifferent  members  of  the  Church;1 
nor  is  it  likely  that,  as  a  most  important  branch  of  Inner 
Mission  work,  Wichern  had  in  mind  any  such  form  of  evan- 
gelization as  has  hitherto  been  current  in  Germany.2  Hence 

1  "The  picture  which  German  conditions  in  this  respect  disclose  is  a  most 
extraordinarily  variegated,  and  indeed  almost  bewildering  one.    Who  can  tell 
what  the  outcome  will  be!" — ScnXrER:   Leitfaden  der  Inner  en  Mission,  4th 
ed.,  p.  172. 

2  "The  one  thing  against  which  not  only  this  but  every  other  work  of  the 
Church  must  be  guarded  is  that  the  Church  and  what  belongs  to  her  be  not 
injured,  either  by  false  doctrine  or  by  anything  else  which  might  disturb  a 
healthy  piety.    Viewed  from  this  standpoint,  itinerant  preaching,  if  it  does  not 
at  once  occasion  apprehension,  may  after  all  degenerate  into  a  form  which  we 
distinctly  repudiate.     The  thing  to  be  especially  avoided  is  the  emotional, 
fear-inspiring  method  of  the  anxious  bench.     With  this  sort  of  Inner  Mission 
our  Church  can  have   nothing   in    common.    .    .    .    Our  Church  disavows 
every  species  of  false  legalism;  and  this  principle  will  be  safeguarded  so  long 
as  justification  by  faith  remains  the  heart  of  her  teaching,  and  love  and  the 
labor  of  love  rest  upon  this  foundation.    This  not  only  guarantees  the  Church's 
existence  and  the  genuineness  of  her  piety,  but  upon  this  foundation  saving 
love,  whether  it  come  in  sermon  or  deed,  must  also  be  able  so  to  unfold  and 
fashion  itself  as  to  lead  to  the  goal  we  have  in  view,  viz.,  the  bringing  of  the 
Word  of  life  to  those  who  do  not  seek  and  hear  it.     It  is  in  this  sense  that  we 
speak  of  itinerant  and  street  preachers." — Denkschrift,  p.  325;  Gesammelte 
Schriften.     Vol.  iii. — And  again:   "If  the  Inner  Mission  would  remain  what 
it  is,  it  must  hold  fast  to  the  foundations  and  principles  laid  down  in  the  teach- 
ings and  practice  of  the  purified  Church  of  the  Reformation.     It  is  funda- 
mentally opposed  to  all  heresies  and  false  doctrine,  and  can  hope  for  the  fulfill- 
ment of  the  divine  promises  only  as  it  remains  true  to  the  pure  doctrines  of  the 
Divine  Word.    Just  so  on  its  active  side.    It  would  speak  its  own  condemnation, 
and  cease  to  be  genuine  Inner  Mission,  if  its  practical  work  should  require 
living  Christians  to  separate  themselves  from  the  Church,  and  should  lead  to 
any  sort  of  sectarianism." — Gesammelte  Schriften.     Vol.  iii,  p.  951. 


PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL          113 

the  remark  of  Schafer:  "  So  much  is  certain,  that  the  Inner 
Mission  has  little  to  do  with  it."  Within  the  last  few  years, 
however,  pastors  have  here  and  there,  with  the  sanction  of 
the  ecclesiastical  authorities,  undertaken  evangelistic  work 
along  churchly  and  confessional  lines. 

The  efforts  put  forth  in  our  own  land  to  reach  the  so-called 
"  masses "  are  various.  Tent  meetings,  theater  services, 
slum  missions,  periodic  revivals  conducted  by  professional 
evangelists,  and,  above  all,  the  extensive  movements  in- 
augurated by  Moody  and  his  imitators,  chiefly  have  this  one 
purpose  in  view.  But  aside  from  the  sporadic  character  of 
most  of  these  efforts,  and  the  very  small  number  out  of  the 
vast  multitude  who  are  savingly  influenced  by  them,  the 
methods  followed  are,  as  a  rule,  not  of  a  kind  to  lead  to 
serious  reflection,  a  living  faith,  and  genuine  amendment  of 
life.  Experience  has  again  and  again  demonstrated  that 
when  the  temporary  excitement  is  over,  the  last  estate  of 
those  among  whom  it  was  had  is  worse  than  the  first.  It 
would  seem  then  that  no  large  and  permanent  results  can  be 
achieved  without  persistent  and  sustained  effort,  according 
to  methods  that  are  at  once  Scriptural  and  adapted  to  the 
peculiar  needs  of  those  to  be  served.  (See  Section  on  City 
Missions,  p.  116.) 

What  applies  to  the  city  in  a  great  measure  also  applies 
to  the  country.  There  may  be  less,  far  less,  poverty  and  vice 
in  the  country,  but  in  many  sections  not  less  spiritual  ig- 
norance. Investigations  made  in  many  parts  of  the  United 
States  prove  that  there  are  numerous  rural  districts  of  large 
dimensions  in  which  there  are  few  churches,  no  Sunday- 
schools,  and  a  non-church-going  population  of  more  than 
50  per  cent.  Into  localities  like  these  spiritual  light  and  life 
can  likewise  only  be  brought  by  the  steady,  faithful  labor 
of  self-denying  missionaries  and  colporteurs  sent  out  by  church 
boards  and  well-established,  flourishing  congregations. 

But  when  there  is  a  dearth  of  such  laborers  a  thousand 
opportunities  may  be  found  in  city  and  country  for  utilizing 
the  gifts  of  consecrated  and  willing  laymen.  Where  the 


114  FORMS  OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

need  is  so  great,  no  good  reason  can  be  assigned  why  a  man  who 
is  well-grounded  in  God's  Word,  whose  heart  glows  with  love, 
and  who  has  other  qualifications  to  recommend  him,  should 
be  restrained  from  communicating  the  truth  that  has  made 
him  free  when  this  cannot  be  done  by  the  regularly  established 
ministry.  That  there  is  good  Scriptural  authority  for  lay 
preaching  cannot  be  denied.  To  prepare  the  way  for  Him, 
and  later  probably  to  be  among  the  "  helps  "  of  the  apostles, 
our  Lord  sent  seventy  of  His  disciples  "  before  His  face  into 
every  city  and  place,  whither  He  himself  would  come" 
(Luke  10  :  i).  When  the  violent  persecution  which  followed 
the  death  of  Stephen  dispersed  the  congregation  at  Jerusalem 
"  they  that  were  scattered  abroad  went  about  preaching 
the  Word"  (Acts  8:4;  n  :  19-21);  and  it  is  certain  that 
through  the  labors  of  some  of  these  at  least  one  church,  that 
at  Antioch,  in  Asia  Minor,  came  into  existence  (Acts  n  :  19- 
21).  "  It  is  clear,"  says  Hatch,  "  from  both  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  and  St.  Paul's  Epistles,  that  '  liberty  of  prophesy- 
ing '  prevailed  in  the  apostolic  age.  It  is  equally  clear  that 
it  existed  after  the  apostolic  age."1  Thus  we  read  in  the 
Apostolic  Constitutions:  "  Even  if  a  teacher  be  a  layman,  if 
he  be  skilled  in  word,  and  reverent  in  manner,  let  him  teach."2 
Lay  preaching  also  found  a  defender  in  Luther,  when  cer- 
tain extraordinary  circumstances  seemed  to  make  it  necessary. 
Though  in  his  polemical  writings  against  the  fanatics  he 
insisted  most  strenuously  on  the  requirement  that  ordinarily 
no  one  should  preach  publicly  who  had  not  been  regularly 
called,  he  would  nevertheless,  as  he  says  elsewhere,  allow 
any  one  who  has  the  gift  to  do  so  where  the  pure  Word  is  not 
taught  or  where  there  is  no  one  to  preach  at  all.  In  support 
of  this  contention  he  appeals  to  the  example  of  Stephen 
(Acts  6),  and  of  Philip  (Acts  8),  and  especially  of  Apollos 
(Acts  1 8  :  24  ff),  who,  without  a  mediate  call,  preached  the 
Gospel  by  virtue  of  the  general  right  of  all  believers  (i  Cor. 
14 :  31;  i  Peter  2:9).  In  his  sermon  on  the  Epistle  for 

1  Organization  of  the  Early  Church,  pp.  116,  117. 
*  Book  VIII.,  32,  p.  495.    American  ed. 


PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL          115 

St.  Stephen's  Day  he  says:  "  Here  the  question  arises  whether 
a  layman  may  also  preach.  .  .  .  The  example  of  Stephen 
clearly  indicates  that  any  one  may  do  so  wherever  there  are 
those  who  will  hear,  but  not  when  the  apostles  themselves 
are  present."1  And  again  in  another  place:  "  A  Christian, 
impelled  by  brotherly  love,  regards  the  distress  of  poor 
souls,  and  does  not  wait  to  see  whether  instructions  or  letters 
of  authority  may  be  given  him  by  princes  or  bishops,  since 
necessity  breaks  all  laws.  Love  is  in  duty  bound  to  help 
where  there  is  no  one  else  to  do  so."  2 

Service  of  this  kind  could  in  these  days  be  made  eminently 
useful  and  productive  of  much  good  in  many  ways  and  places, 
but  to  avoid  abuses  it  would  have  to  be  properly  regulated. 
Only  such  men  should  be  permitted  to  engage  in  it  as  are 
possessed  of  superior  spiritual  and  natural  endowments,  and 
concerning  whose  confessional  soundness  there  can  be  no 
doubt.  These  should  then  do  their  work  in  closest  affiliation 
with  the  established  ecclesiastical  authorities  and  the  regular 
ministry  of  the  Church,  and  at  such  places,  such  times,  and 
in  such  manner  as  might  be  designated  for  them. 

The  employment,  under  careful  guardianship,  of  such  lay 
help  as  an  aid  to  the  pastoral  office,  seems  to  be  one  of  the 
urgent  demands  of  the  present,  if  the  Church  is  to  be  in  the 
fullest  sense  a  missionary  Church  as  in  the  beginning.  To 
this  end  she  should,  like  the  Early  Church,  utilize  to  the 
utmost  those  of  her  members  whom  the  Holy  Ghost  has 
endowed  with  special  gifts.  To  do  so  is  altogether  in  harmony 
with  the  doctrine  of  the  universal  priesthood  of  believers; 
and  the  principle  has  again  and  again  been  recognized  by 
the  Lutheran  Church  in  the  employment  of  so-called  "  cate- 
chists  "  at  home  and  in  heathen  lands. 

1  Sammtliche  Werke,  ist  Erlangen  ed.     Vol.  vii,  p.  220. 

2  Ibid.    Vol.  xxii,  p.  147.    See  also  KOSTLIN:    The   Theology  of  Luther. 
Vol.  ii,  pp.  86-90. 


Il6  FORMS  OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 


b.  CITY  MISSIONS 

Next  to  the  conversion  of  the  heathen  world,  the  Church's 
great  missionary  problem  to-day  is,  beyond  question,  the 
problem  of  the  city.  In  the  large  cities  we  find  the  best  and 
the  worst  of  everything  side  by  side;  here  the  mightiest  forces 
are  at  work  for  the  making  or  the  unmaking  of  the  individual; 
and  from  these  centers  go  forth  the  most  powerful  influences 
for  good  or  evil  into  the  life  of  a  nation.  So  thoroughly  did 
the  apostles  of  our  Lord  understand  this  truth  that  they  began 
their  missionary  operations  in  the  chief  cities  of  their  day. 

In  our  own  land  the  cities  are  with  giant  strides  becoming 
an  increasingly  influential  factor,  and  perhaps  nowhere  else 
outside  of  the  heathen  world  is  the  missionary  problem  so 
difficult  of  solution.  Their  phenomenally  rapid  growth;1 
their  heterogeneous  population  as  regards  race,  nationality, 
and  religion;2  the  frequently  inadequate  housing  accommo- 
dations, which,  with  expanding  population  and  extortionate 
rents,  forces  thousands  into  the  tenement  and  the  slum;  the 
physical  and  moral  ills  entailed  by  the  disappearance  of  the 
home  and  abnormal  living  conditions;3  our  intensely  busy 
life,  and  the  exacting  demands  of  our  present  industrial 
organization;  the  long  hours  of  labor  and  the  incessant  grind 
for  the  barest  living,  often  at  wages  out  of  all  proportion  to 
the  service  rendered;4  the  temptations  and  vices  to  which  old 

»  See  STRONG:   The  Challenge  of  the  City,  p.  16  flf. 

'GROSE:  Aliens  or  Americans?  p.  198  ff. 

s  STRONG:   The  Challenge  of  the  City,  p.  98  ff. 

4  Of  the  Pittsburgh  Survey,  published  in  Charities  and  the  Commons,  Jan- 
uary, February,  and  March,  1909,  Dr.  Edward  T.  Devine  gives  the  following 
summary,  which  accurately  describes  conditions  in  other  American  cities:  "An 
altogether  incredible  amount  of  overwork  by  everybody,  reaching  its  extreme 
in  the  twelve-hour  shift  for  seven  days  in  the  week  in  the  steel  mills  and  the 
railroad  switch  yards. 

"Low  wages  for  the  great  majority  of  the  laborers  employed  by  the  mills, 
so  low  as  to  be  inadequate  for  the  maintenance  of  a  normal  American  stand- 
ard of  living. 

"Still  lower  wages  for  women. 

"The  destruction  of  family  life,  not  in  any  imaginary  or  mystical  sense, 
but  by  the  demands  of  the  day's  work,  and  by  the  demonstrable  and  material 
method  of  typhoid  fever  and  industrial  accidents,  both  preventable,  but  cost- 
ing in  single  years  in  Pittsburgh  considerably  more  than  a  thousand  lives, 
and  irretrievably  shattering  nearly  as  many  homes." 


:1 


111 


The  Church 


Interior  of  the  Church 
BERLIN  CITY  MISSION 


PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL          117 

and  young  are  alike  exposed;  the  loss  of  neighborhood  feeling 
and  the  loneliness  engendered  where  one  is  practically  un- 
known; the  constant  shifting  of  population  and  the  marked 
differences  in  social  standing;  all  these  are  among  the  causes 
that  alienate  some  from  the  Church,  that  keep  others  out  of 
her,  and  that  introduce  elements  into  the  problem  of  city 
evangelization  which  are  most  perplexing. 

We  are  told,  for  instance,  that  in  New  York,  in  spite  of 
rapidly  increasing  population,  the  Protestant  Church  is 
barely  holding  its  own;  that  there  are  considerably  over  a 
million  of  people  of  Protestant  descent  who  have  no  church 
affiliation  whatever;  that  within  recent  years  forty  Protestant 
churches  have  moved  out  of  the  district  below  Twentieth 
Street,  while  300,000  people  have  moved  in;  that  since  1888 
no  fewer  than  eighty-seven  churches  and  missions  have  gone 
up- town  or  perished;  that  even  in  the  upper  part  of  the  city 
a  canvass  of  fifty-seven  blocks  showed  that  out  of  60,000 
persons,  belonging  to  12,000  families,  almost  54  per  cent,  were 
without  church  allegiance;  that  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
has  this  same  problem  of  religious  indifferentism  to  wrestle 
with,  not  only  in  New  York,  but  in  other  great  American 
cities;  and  that  the  same  disheartenment  over  the  falling 
away  from  all  religious  belief  exists  among  Jewish  religious 
leaders  as  among  Christians. 

It  is  with  conditions  like  these  that  the  city  mission  seeks 
to  deal.  The  first  such  mission  owes  its  origin  to  a  Scotch 
layman,  David  Nasmith  (1799-1839),  who  began  his  work  in 
Glasgow,  in  1826,  assisted  by  eight  missionaries.  In  1835 
he  founded  the  London  City  Mission,  to-day,  with  its  500 
missionaries,  the  most  extensive  in  the  world.  Each  mis- 
sionary visits  once  a  month  about  500  families,  or  2000 
persons,  of  the  neglected  and  often  destitute  and  vicious 
classes.  "  Their  work  is  to  act  as  pioneers  in  places  where 
the  faithful  pastor  may  in  due  time  follow.  They  read  the 
Scriptures,  pray  with  and  exhort  the  people,  give  them  tracts, 
see  that  the  children  go  to  school,  and  that  every  family 
is  possessed  of  a  copy  of  the  Word  of  God.  While  the 


Il8  FORMS   OF   INNER  MISSION   ACTIVITY 

Society's  missionaries  are  forbidden  to  give  money  or  so  to 
deport  themselves  as  to  be  looked  upon  as  mere  charity 
agents,  they  render  most  effective  service  in  bringing  relief 
to  those  whose  destitution  demands  immediate  attention; 
but  their  constant  aim  is,  through  Gospel  instrumentalities, 
to  reach  and  renovate  character,  and  thus  transform  the 
personal  and  family  life.  When  this  end  is  attained  the 
family  is  at  once  found  to  be  lifted  permanently  above  the 
level  of  vice  and  want."1 

To-day  similar  missions  are  found  in  many  of  the  leading 
cities  of  Christendom.  Germany  has  71,  chief  among 
which  are  those  in  Hamburg  and  Berlin,  both  founded  by 
Wichern,  the  former  in  1848  and  the  latter  in  1858.  That 
of  Berlin,  reorganized  in  1877,  at  which  time  Court-preacher 
Dr.  Adolf  Stocker  (1835-1909)  became  its  director,  is  the 
largest  and  most  important.  The  working  force  in  1909- 
1910  consisted  of  seven  pastors  or  "  inspectors,"  forty-seven 
deacons,  five  candidates,  and  twelve  deaconesses.  The 
Mission  House  No.  6  Johannistisch,  with  its  complex  of 
buildings  devoted  to  various  purposes,  and  the  church  built 
by  the  friends  of  Dr.  Stocker,  is  the  center  of  the  Mission's 
operations.  Here  numerous  meetings  are  held  Sundays  and 
weekdays,  with  old  and  young,  for  service,  Bible  study,  indus- 
trial, and  other  purposes.  Here  the  missionaries  gather  with 
their  inspectors  every  Friday  morning  to  exchange  experi- 
ences, discuss  projects,  and,  above  all,  to  seek  refreshment 
and  strength  in  God's  Word.  Here  thousands  annually  go  in 
and  out  whose  needs  of  body  and  soul  compel  them  to  seek 
relief.  Here  the  discharged  convict  and  the  unemployed 
are  given  a  helping  hand,  and  a  place  of  refuge  is  provided 
for  imperiled  girls  and  women.  And  here  a  large  printing 
establishment  issues  and  puts  into  circulation  an  immense 
amount  of  Christian  literature.  In  other  parts  of  the  city 
three  chapels  and  eighteen  halls  are  in  constant  use  as  sub- 
ordinate centers  of  missionary  labors.  Seven  choirs,  trained 
by  and  attached  to  the  Mission,  sing  the  Gospel  into  human 

1  Encyclopedia  of  Missions,  Funk  and  Wagnalls  Co.,  ad  ed.,  p.  175. 


PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL  1 19 

hearts  on  the  city's  streets;  four  hospices  afford  accommoda- 
tions to  those  seeking  entertainment  amid  Christian  sur- 
roundings; and  for  the  workers  in  the  Mission  and  others  in 
need  of  recuperation  the  vacation  resort  at  Wernigerode  in 
the  Harz  Mountains  serves  as  a  pleasant  and  health-giving 
retreat. 

Fully  100,000  visits  are  annually  made  by  the  mission- 
aries, most  of  them  from  house  to  house,  others  to  the  sick, 
some  to  the  poor  to  learn  their  actual  needs  and  arrange 
for  their  relief,  others  again  to  those  who  are  known  to  have 
neglected  the  baptism  and  Christian  training  of  their  children 
or  who  perhaps  even  live  in  concubinage,  and  some,  finally, 
to  find,  if  possible,  for  pastors  and  relatives  in  the  country- 
such  as  have  disappeared  from  view  or  who  amid  a  city's 
vices  and  temptations  are  in  dire  peril  or  have  already  fallen 
into  evil  ways.  It  is  in  such  charitable,  preventive,  and  re- 
formatory work  among  girls  and  women  that  the  women 
missionaries  find  their  special  field  of  labor. 

The  Berlin  City  Mission  is  typical  of  most  of  the  city 
missions  in  Germany.  As  a  rule,  they  do  their  work  in  closest 
affiliation  with  the  churches;  and  whilst  the  work  of  all  is 
in  varying  degrees  diaconal,  the  prime  purpose  of  the  city 
mission  is  everywhere  evangelistic,  i.  e.,  by  means  of  the 
Gospel  to  win  to  churchly  and  Christian  life  those  who  stand 
aloof  or  have  fallen  away. 

City  missions  are  also  found  in  leading  cities  of  our  land. 
An  extensive  work  is  done  by  the  City  Mission  and  Tract 
Society  of  New  York,  and  the  Protestant  Episcopal  City 
Mission  of  Philadelphia.  For  holding  service  and  making 
visits  in  charitable,  reformatory,  and  penal  institutions,  and 
ministering  to  the  spiritual  and  physical  needs  of  those  not 
otherwise  cared  for,  the  Lutheran  Church  has  general  city 
missionaries  in  Philadelphia,  New  York,  St.  Louis,  Chicago, 
Minneapolis  and  St.  Paul,  Milwaukee,  Buffalo,  Brooklyn, 
and  Toledo;  but  nowhere  among  us  has  this  branch  of 
Inner  Mission  work  yet  reached  a  development  commen- 
surate with  the  need. 


I2O  FORMS   OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

But:  however  necessary  general  city  missions  may  be,  es- 
pecially in  Germany  with  its  enormously  large  city  parishes, 
they  should  in  the  cities  of  our  own  land  never  be  regarded 
otherwise  than  as  a  subordinate  agency,  designed  chiefly 
for  those  who  are  for  some  reason  momentarily  beyond  the 
reach  and  influence  of  the  churches.  In  the  American  city, 
with  its  large  number  of  churches,  every  established  congrega- 
tion should  be  a  center  of  missionary  activity,  but  especially 
those  whose  churches  are  located  in  the  midst  of  a  congested 
and  unchurched  population.  If  the  Church  of  to-day  does 
not  have  the  hold  upon  such  masses  that  she  should  have,  we 
cannot  close  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that  something  has  been 
and  still  is  lacking  on  her  part.  The  chasm  that  in  many 
places  separates  her  from  the  masses  is  at  least  to  some 
extent  due  to  the  failure  of  congregations  to  take  note  of  the 
rapidly  changing  conditions  of  modern  life,  and  to  adapt  their 
methods  to  these  changed  conditions.  The  result  is  that  much 
of  the  work  that  churches  ought  to  do  is  done  by  purely 
humanitarian  associations,  or  left  to  the  Salvation  Army 
and  kindred  organizations. 

A  city  congregation  should  not  think  of  leaving  a  neigh- 
borhood in  which  its  presence  and  work  as  an  uplifting  and 
saving  power  are  most  needed.  On  the  contrary,  it  should 
give  the  more  special  heed  to  the  Lord's  command  to  "  go 
out  quickly  into  the  streets  and  lanes  of  the  city  and  bring 
in  hither  the  poor,  and  the  maimed,  and  the  halt,  and  the 
blind"  (Luke  14:  21).  It  should  seek  to  communicate  the 
life-giving  Word  to  the  largest  possible  number,  and  be 
prepared  to  extend  the  ministrations  of  Christian  love 
wherever  needed.  It  need  not  die  if  it  chooses  to  live;  and 
if  it  dies,  when  it  has  ample  material  to  work  upon,  it  richly 
deserves  its  fate.  "  Launch  out  into  the  deep,  and  let  down 
your  nets  for  a  draught,"  was  the  Lord's  word  to  Simon,  after 
a  whole  night  of  fruitless  effort;  and  the  disciple's  obedience 
to  his  Master's  command  was  most  liberally  rewarded ! 
Nor  will  the  Lord  to-day  withhold  His  blessing  from  a  con- 
gregation that  is  fired  with  that  genuine  missionary  zeal  and 


PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL         121 

that  love  of  souls  which  only  a  living  faith  can  produce. 
But  it  must  learn  to  know  its  nearest  neighbors,  and  come  to 
realize  its  full  measure  of  responsibility  for  these  before  God. 
It  must  have  as  much  concern  for  those  heathenizing  at  home 
as  for  the  heathen  of  foreign  lands.  It  must  cease  to  be 
satisfied  with  the  regular  routine  services  of  the  Lord's 
Day,  a  session  of  the  Sunday  school,  and  perhaps  a  poorly 
attended  mid-week  service,  and  look  beyond  the  walls  of  its 
church.  It  must  make  a  systematic  effort,  through  an  in- 
creased and  willing  working  force,  to  reach  out  into  the  masses 
surrounding  its  place  of  worship,  that  it  may  discover  their 
spiritual  and  temporal  needs,  and  furnish  the  relief.  Why 
should  not  a  church  in  the  midst  of  a  teeming,  unchurched 
population  be  a  hive  of  activity  all  the  while,  weekdays 
as  well  as  Sundays,  making  use  of  every  legitimate  Gospel 
means  to  win  old  and  young  for  better  life?  Why  should  it 
not  have,  besides  its  pastor  or  pastors,  an  entire  staff  of 
trained  deacons,  deaconesses,  and  teachers,  and  a  whole  host 
of  volunteer  helpers  to  come  into  personal  touch  with,  and 
to  do  individual  work  among  those  who  are  right  about  it, 
and  who  most  need  such  effort?  Why  serve  a  class  instead 
of  the  mass?  Very  truthfully  has  it  been  said  that  the  Church 
of  to-day  is  to  a  great  extent  "  spending  her  energies  on  the 
best  elements  of  society,  her  time  is  given  to  teaching  the 
most  intelligent,  she  is  medicating  the  healthiest,  she  is  salting 
the  salt,  while  the  determinating  masses,  which  include  the 
most  ignorant  and  vicious,  the  poorest  and  most  degraded, 
are  alike  beneath  her  influence  and  effort."1  And  if  it  be 
affirmed  that  these  latter  are  beyond  the  Church's  reach, 
then  we  may  quote  the  equally  truthful  words  of  another, 
who  says:  "  In  the  days  of  Jesus  on  earth  there  was  a  class 
of  people  called  publicans  and  sinners  and  harlots,  who,  when 
they  saw  God  as  He  was  in  Christ  Jesus,  almost  leaped  upon 
Him  for  joy,  in  finding  that  for  which  their  souls  hungered 
and  thirsted;  and  the  same  hunger  is  still  working  in  the 
hearts  of  many  upon  whom  we  are  more  likely  to  look  as 

i  STRONG:   The  New  Era,  p.  221. 


122  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

being  at  enmity  with  God  than  as  being  famished  for  Him." 1 
Indeed,  in  illustrating  the  distinction  between  profession  and 
practice,  our  Lord  Himself  declares  that  the  publicans  and 
harlots  who  sincerely  repent  shall  go  into  the  kingdom  of 
God  before  the  self-righteous  and  impenitent  who  say 
"Lord,  Lord,"  but  do  not  the  will  of  God  (Luke  21 :  28-32). 
In  the  disposition  to  serve  a  class  rather  than  the  mass 
is  probably  found  one  of  the  most  potent  reasons  why  many 
congregations  desert  a  neighborhood  when  the  population 
begins  to  change,  and  the  well-to-do  members  move  into 
newer  and  better  localities.  Unfortunately  this  is  true  only 
of  Protestants.  Roman  Catholics  never  abandon  a  field, 
and  often  immediately  occupy  those  left  by  Protestants, 
build  large  and  imposing  churches,  and  keep  these  open 
week-days  and  Sundays  for  all  who  wish  to  come,  from  the 
poorest  and  humblest  to  the  richest  and  most  distinguished. 
To  many  a  Protestant  church  of  to-day  the  message  that 
came  to  the  angel  of  the  church  at  Sardis  applies  with  equal 
force:  "  I  know  thy  works,  that  thou  hast  a  name,  that  thou 
livest,  and  art  dead.  Be  watchful,  and  strengthen  the  things 
which  remain,  that  are  ready  to  die;  for  I  have  not  found  thy 
works  perfect  before  God.  Remember  therefore  how  thou 
hast  received  and  heard;  and  hold  fast,  and  repent"  (Rev. 

3  :  i-3). 

And  at  this  point  the  question  becomes  an  intensely 
individual  and  personal  one.  Where  so  much  remains  to  be 
done,  each  one  should  ask  himself  or  herself:  "  What  am 
/  doing?  Has  the  Lord  given  me  gifts  and  talents  that  I  can 
use  in  His  service  and  for  the  good  of  others?  If  He  has, 
am  I  embracing  my  opportunities  to  put  them  into  practice? 
Are  there  those  into  whose  hearts  I  can  help  to  put  the  seeds 
of  Divine  truth,  and  into  whose  lives  I  can  bring  some  of  the 
sunshine  of  Christian  love  and  fellowship?"  However  nec- 
essary it  is  to  have  many  well-trained  helpers  in  all  forms 
of  Inner  Mission  work,  the  principle  laid  down  by  Wichern 
of  enlisting  in  it,  as  far  as  possible,  the  entire  body  of  believers 

»  The  Rev.  SCOTT  R.  WAGNER:  Reformed  Church  Review,  Jan.  1909,  p.  57. 


PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL          123 

must  never  be  overlooked.  Yet,  alas !  how  many  thousand 
in  the  churches  are  quite  at  ease  with  themselves,  and  imagine 
that  they  have  done  all  that  can  reasonably  be  expected  of 
them,  when  they  have  occupied  their  pew  on  Sunday  and 
made  an  occasional — perhaps  altogether  insignificant — con- 
tribution to  this  or  that  cause!  To  such  the  Church  is  not 
a  vineyard  in  which  those  who  have  entered  it  are  to  be 
laborers,  but  rather  a  place  in  which  to  enjoy  only  the  good 
things  which  the  vineyard  produces.  Forgetting  the  ex- 
ample of  Him  whose  name  they  bear,  they  allow  themselves 
to  be  ministered  unto,  but  do  not  minister  themselves.  In 
these  days  of  extraordinary  demands  for  service  such  need  to 
heed  the  cry:  "  Awake  thou  that  sleepest,  and  arise  from  the 
dead,  and  Christ  shall  give  thee  light"  (Eph.  5  :  14);  and, 
looking  about  themselves  to  see  what  is  required,  and  with  ears 
and  hearts  wide  open  to  the  cry  for  help,  they  must  come  to  a 
proper  realization  of  their  responsibility  as  the  stewards  of 
the  gifts  of  God,  if  they  would  in  the  end  escape  the  con- 
demnation of  the  unjust  and  unfaithful.  It  is  in  such  service 
in  behalf  of  others,  especially  in  the  giving  of  one's  self,  that 
the  faithful  come  to  understand  how  much  more  blessed  it 
is  to  give  than  to  receive.  In  love  to  God  and  man  to  aid 
in  leading  others  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus, 
to  influence  lives  in  the  right  direction  for  time  and  eternity, 
to  help  to  relieve  the  ills  which  sin  entails,  and  in  return  for 
such  service  to  see  the  tear  of  gratitude  and  hear  the  word  of 
thankfulness,  is  indeed  to  experience  such  a  joy  as  nothing 
else  in  the  world  can  give  ! 

And  to  inspire  this  larger  measure  of  duty  pastors  themselves 
must  be  vitally  interested.  A  wider  outlook,  a  careful  study 
of  conditions,  familiarity  with  current  movements  and  their 
literature,  genuine  missionary  zeal,  and  such  a  passion  for 
souls  and  service  as  only  the  Word  of  God  can  enkindle — 
all  these  are  first  needed  in  the  pastor  as  the  teacher  and 
leader  of  his  flock;  and  thus  furnished  let  him  then  with 
absolute  fearlessness  lay  upon  the  hearts  of  his  people  both 
the  needs  which  call  for  relief  and  the  duty  of  those  to  whom 


124  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

the  call  comes.  He  who  fails  in  this  respect  must  have  a  poor 
idea  indeed  of  his  own  responsibility  before  God. 

The  home  mission  problem  can  often  also  best  be  solved 
in  cities  not  by  general  church  boards,  but  by  the  local  con- 
gregations already  in  existence.  These,  either  singly  or  in 
cooperation,  should  keep  an  eye  on  the  entire  field,  organize 
Sunday  schools  and  missions  wherever  needed,  and  give  these 
vigorous  personal  and  financial  support  until  they  are  com- 
pletely established.  In  many  neighborhoods  Inner  Mission 
methods  will  from  the  very  beginning  serve  as  the  best 
means  to  insure  future  success;  and,  by  whomsoever  carried 
on,  such  enterprises  should  always  endeavor  to  offer  the  best. 
Unattractive  buildings,  cheap  furnishings,  poor  preaching, 
and  a  slip-shod  service  do  not  appeal  to  those  for  whom 
anything  is  so  often  thought  to  be  good  enough.  For  work 
so  difficult  men  should  be  chosen  who  are  familiar  with  city 
conditions  and  needs,  and  who  possess  the  best  qualifications 
as  missionaries,  preachers,  and  organizers;  and  the  place  to 
which  the  unchurched  of  the  neighborhood  are  invited  should 
in  its  appearance,  its  activities,  and  in  its  services  become 
a  center  of  the  best  and  brightest  that  the  Church  is  capable 
of  giving. 

Nevertheless  with  all  that  the  Church  may  do  there  are 
sections  in  nearly  all  the  larger  cities,  known  as  the  slums, 
in  which  even  her  best  work  will  prove  almost  fruitless  so 
long  as  the  external  conditions  remain  unchanged.  Hence 
wherever  she  can  do  so  she  must  by  her  preaching  and  teach- 
ing seek  to  inspire  that  large-hearted  Christian  philanthropy 
and  that  civic  virtue  which  will  induce  individuals  and  mu- 
nicipal authorities  to  engage  in  the  work  of  removing  these 
conditions.  "The  people  cannot  be  elevated  while  their 
environment  remains  unchanged.  A  much  more  robust  virtue 
than  exists  in  the  slums  would  yield  to  the  conditions  which 
there  prevail.  On  the  other  hand,  we  cannot  very  materially 
change  the  environment  while  the  people  remain  unchanged. 
Both  must  be  transformed  together;  while  moral  and  spirit- 
ual influences  are  brought  to  bear  on  the  people,  the  physical 


PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL          125 

causes  of  their  degradation  must  be  removed.  The  sending 
of  an  occasional  missionary  with  a  gospel  message  is  like  try- 
ing to  bail  out  the  Atlantic  with  a  thimble ;  and  the  preaching 
of  a  half  gospel  in  elegant  up-town  churches  does  not  have  the 
remotest  tendency  to  transform  the  slums — to  save  the  part 
of  the  city  which  most  needs  saving.  An  occasional  rescue 
mission,  like  the  devoted  city  missionary,  may  do  much  good 
by  the  saving  of  individuals  and  families,  but  the  awful  supply 
of  ruined  men  and  women  is  not  reduced.  A  missionary 
may  reasonably  hope  to  elevate  a  tribe  of  savages  in  a  genera- 
tion of  time,  because  every  one  brought  under  his  influence 
reinforces  that  influence  and  becomes  a  helper.  Not  so  in 
the  slums.  When  a  man  or  a  family  are  reclaimed  they  move 
out,  and  their  places  are  quickly  taken  by  others  equally 
needing  reclamation.  We  shall  continue  to  have  the  slums 
until  the  causes  which  produce  them  are  removed." 1 

c.  THE  DISSEMINATION  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES 

To  give  the  Scriptures  the  widest  possible  dissemination  as 
the  auxiliary  of  the  preached  Word,  numerous  Bible  societies 
have  come  into  existence.  The  Bible  Institution  at  Halle 
(in  1735  merged  with  the  Francke  Stiftungen,  p.  146),  founded 
by  Baron  von  Cansteih  in  1712,  was  the  first  to  undertake 
work  of  this  kind  (p.  52).  During  the  eighteenth  century 
efforts  in  the  same  direction  were  also  made  by  various  asso- 
ciations in  England.  On  March  7,  1804,  the  great  British 
and  Foreign  Bible  Society  was  founded  in  London,  in  the 
formation  of  which  the  Rev.  Dr.  Steinkopf,  pastor  of  the 
German  Lutheran  Church  in  the  Savoy,  was  especially  active 
and  useful.  From  this  society,  and  more  particularly  from 
Dr.  Steinkopf,  came  the  impulse  that  led  to  the  formation  of 
numerous  societies  in  Germany.  Beginning  with  the 
Niirnberg  (1804),  which  two  years  later  was  merged  into  the 
Basel  of  Switzerland,  one  society  after  the  other  was  organ- 
ized until  the  number  in  Germany  alone  has  now  reached 

1  STRONG:   The  New  Era,  p.  193. 


126  FORMS  OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

• 

thirty-one.  Chief  among  these  are  the  Wurttemberg  (1812) 
and  Prussian  (1814).  Societies  are  also  found  in  Denmark, 
Sweden,  Norway,  Holland,  France,  Russia,  Scotland,  and 
Ireland.  In  America  the  first  Bible  society  was  the  Penn- 
sylvania, organized  in  Philadelphia,  in  1808.  Others  fol- 
lowed in  quick  succession,  so  that  by  June,  1816,  one  hundred 
and  twenty-eight  such  societies  were  reported.  A  national 
movement  resulted  in  1816  in  the  formation  of  the  American 
Bible  Society,  with  headquarters  in  New  York,  to  which  346 
local  societies  bear  an  auxiliary  relation. 

All  the  larger  societies  maintain  central  de*pots.  From 
these  the  Bibles  are  sent  out  to  branch  stations  and  agents, 
to  be  sold  practically  at  cost,  or  to  be  given  away  where 
necessity  demands.  For  placing  Bibles  extensive  use  is 
made  of  colporteurs;  and  in  many  localities  much  work  of  this 
kind  is  done  by  pastors,  teachers,  and  other  Bible  friends. 

The  origin  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  has  a 
most  interesting  history.  One  day  the  Rev.  Thomas  Charles, 
pastor  of  a  small  congregation  at  Bala,  Wales,  met  little  Mary 
Jones  on  the  street.  He  began  to  question  her  about  his 
text  and  sermon  on  the  preceding  Sunday.  But  the  girl 
could  answer  nothing.  She  excused  herself  by  saying  that 
the  weather  had  been  so  unpleasant  that  she  could  not  get  a 
Bible  to  read.  Failing  to  understand  what  she  meant,  Mr. 
Charles,  by  further  questioning,  elicited  the  information  that 
there  was  not  a  Bible  in  all  Bala;  that  she  was,  therefore, 
accustomed  every  week  to  make  a  long  journey  on  foot  across 
the  mountains  to  the  home  of  her  grandmother,  who  owned  a 
Welsh  Bible;  and  that  there  she  read  the  chapter  from  which 
the  text  of  the  Sunday's  sermon  was  taken.  At  once  the 
good  pastor  resolved  to  devise  some  method  by  which  the 
need  among  his  people  could  be  relieved.  Shortly  afterwards 
the  London  Tract  Society  held  its  annual  meeting.  Mr. 
Charles  went  to  London  and,  introduced  by  a  friend,  related 
the  story  of  Mary  Jones,  and  asked  the  society  for  help. 
It  was  proposed  at  once  to  organize  a  society  to  supply 
Wales  with  Bibles.  "  No;  not  only  Wales,  not  only  England, 


PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL         127 

but  the  whole  world,"  said  another  speaker;  and  the  seed 
was  planted  that  led  to  the  formation  of  the  largest  and  most 
widely  active  Bible  society  in  the  world. 

Up  to  March  31,  1909,  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society  reports  the  translation,  printing,  and  distribution  of 
the  whole  or  a  part  of  the  Bible  by  the  society  in  418  lan- 
guages or  dialects.  The  year's  issue  amounted  to  5,934,711 
volumes.  Since  its  foundation  the  society  »has  issued  over 
215,500,000  copies  of  the  Scriptures. 

In  the  year  ending  March  31,  1909,  the  issues  of  the  Ameri- 
can Bible  Society  were  2,153,028  volumes,  of  which  1,190,228 
were  issued  from  the  Bible  House  in  New  York  and  962,800 
by  the  society's  agencies  abroad. 

During  the  year  1908  the  European  and  American  societies 
published  considerably  over  11,000,000  volumes  of  Scriptures. 

d.  THE  CIRCULATION  or  CHRISTIAN  LITERATURE 

Next  in  importance  to  the  dissemination  of  the  Scriptures 
is  the  circulation  of  literature  that  is  Christian  and  morally 
healthy  in  tone.  In  numberless  instances  the  seed  of  the 
Word  is  rendered  fruitless  by  the  reading  of  books,  papers, 
etc.,  that  instil  false  views  of  life  and  duty,  and  even  pollute 
mind  and  heart.  Much  of  the  fiction  of  the  day,  the  issues 
of  the  socialistic  press,  the  productions  of  twentieth  century 
rationalism,  the  scoffing  publications  of  the  Philistine  type, 
the  Sunday  newspaper — to  say  nothing  of  the  yellow-back 
novel  and  the  immoral  literature  that  finds  its  way  into  the 
hands  of  many,  especially  of  the  young — all  these  interfere 
with  the  operations  of  the  Word  and  need  an  effective  anti- 
dote. 

In  the  conflict  with  demoralizing  literature,  and  also  as  an 
evangelizing  means  to  reach  those  who  never  come  to  hear  the 
WTord,  well-written  tracts,  popular  in  style,  attractive  in  ap- 
pearance, and  low  in  price,  serve  a  most  useful  purpose. 
Many  of  Luther's  shorter  writings  were  of  this  kind,  and  hence 
were  widely  circulated  and  read.  Not  until  the  last  century, 


12$  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

however,  did  this  form  of  Christian  work  experience  any 
considerable  development.  Towards  the  close  of  the  eight- 
eenth century  the  English  authoress,  Hannah  More  (1745- 
1833),  wrote  and  published  numerous  tracts  which  circulated 
by  hundreds  of  thousands,  and  whose  purpose  it  was  to  coun- 
teract in  England  the  influence  of  literature  saturated  with 
the  spirit  of  the  French  Revolution.  In  1799  the  Religious 
Tract  Society  was  organized  in  London,  which,  it  is  said,  has 
since  then  issued  more  than  one  thousand  million  tracts  in 
125  languages,  besides  numerous  other  publications.  The 
example  set  by  England  was  soon  followed  in  Germany, 
where  at  least  a  half  a  dozen  large  tract  societies,  and  other 
agencies,  like  the  Berlin  City  Mission  and  the  Rauhe  Hausy 
have  for  years  issued  and  put  into  circulation  an  immense 
amount  of  Christian  literature  in  cheap  and  popular  form. 

The  weekly  distribution  of  printed  sermons  has  also  become 
a  widespread  practice  among  Inner  Mission  workers.  It 
was  in  November,  1881,  that  Dr.  Stocker  and  some  of  his 
colaborers  in  the  Berlin  City  Mission  discussed  the  question 
of  how  to  reach  those  whose  vocation  did  not  permit  them  to 
come  to  church  on  the  Lord's  Day.  Then  and  there  it  was 
decided  to  try  the  experiment  of  issuing  for  free  distribution 
an  eight-page  sermon  every  week,  at  a  price  not  exceeding 
twenty-five  cents  a  hundred  copies.  The  experiment  at  once 
proved  highly  successful.  By  the  year  1883  a  weekly  issue  of 
30,000  copies  was  required,  and  the  publication  branch  of  the 
Berlin  City  Mission  was  begun.  Four  years  later  122,000 
were  needed.  Similar  undertakings  were  .soon  launched  in 
other  parts  of  Germany,  and  yet  the  demand  for  the  sermons 
issued  at  Berlin  scarcely  suffered  any  diminution.  The  total 
of  printed  sermons  distributed  every  week  is  now  probably 
a  full  quarter  of  a  million.  » 

As  a  further  means  to  displace  improper  literature  and 
provide  instructive  and  wholesome  reading  the  various  Inner 
Mission  societies  and  publication  houses  issue  numerous 
periodicals  and  papers  that  annually  circulate  in  millions  of 
copies.  Thus  there  are  the  many  publications  that  serve  as 


PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL         I2Q 

the  organs  of  some  special  form  of  Inner  Mission  work,  or 
represent  the  cause  as  a  whole;  church  and  congregational 
papers  whose  circulation  is  almost  exclusively  local;  papers 
with  contents  intended  for  an  entire  province;  and,  finally, 
those  which,  like  the  Christenbote,  the  Nachbar,  the  Sonntags- 
freund,  and  others,  find  their  readers  in  all  parts  of  Germany 
and  far  beyond.  Besides  these  there  are  a  number  of  weekly 
publications  like  the  Daheim,  Gruss  Gott,  Immergrun,  and 
Quellwasser,  which  are  intended  to  furnish  wholesome  mental 
entertainment  rather  than  direct  spiritual  edification. 

Of  no  small  consequence  are  the  almanacs — upwards  of 
seventy — issued  by  different  societies  and  publication  houses. 
These  circulate  in  fully  three  million  copies  and  have  in  many 
households  driven  out  the  almanacs  of  vicious  content  and 
influence.  The  first  efforts  in  this  direction  were  made  by 
Pastor  Oberlin  in  the  Steinthal,  who  prepared  a  Christian 
almanac  especially  for  the  people  of  his  parish;  and  by  Flied- 
ner  at  Kaiserswerth.  In  1841  the  latter  began  to  issue  the 
Christlicher  Volkskalender,  which  is  still  published  in  an  edi- 
tion of  100,000  copies;  and  to-day  nearly  every  branch  of 
Inner  Mission  work  is  represented  by  a  publication  of  this 
kind. 

e.  PEOPLE'S  LIBRARIES 

Nowhere  perhaps  do  people  have  such  ready  access  to 
books  as  in  America  and  England.  In  the  cities  and  towns 
of  these  two  countries  are  found  libraries  innumerable, 
large  and  small,  of  the  most  varied  contents,  established  and 
maintained  at  the  public  expense  or  by  private  beneficence, 
and  open  to  readers  for  a  nominal  fee  or  without  cost.  That 
the  well-selected  public  library  has  a  vast  educational  value 
cannot  be  denied;  but  that  into  many  of  them  a  large  number 
of  books  likewise  find  their  way,  and  are  extensively  read, 
whose  influence  is  by  no  means  of  the  best,  is  also  true.1 

1  "A  tabulated  report  of  the  library  system  of  Pittsburgh,  exclusive  of 
Allegheny,  is  instructive.  .  Eight  libraries  contain  364,498  volumes,  and  there 
were  86,399  holders  of  borrowing  cards,  which  if  multiplied  by  six  to  a  family, 
as  the  report  suggests,  would  make  the  libraries  reach,  more  or  less  closely, 


130  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

Still  more  so  is  the  latter  the  case  with  the  small  circulating 
libraries  that  have  within  recent  years,  in  so  many  American 
cities  and  towns,  been  established  in  drug  stores  and  other 
frequented  places. 

To  supply  a  felt  need  in  their  own  land,  create  a  taste  for 
the  best  literature,  and  thus  erect  a  barrier  against  that  which 
is  vicious,  German  Inner  Mission  societies  have  been  espe- 
cially active  in  establishing  small  people's  libraries,  consist- 
ing in  part  of  books  of  a  generally  instructive  character,  and  in 
still  greater  measure  of  books  designed  to  furnish  wholesome 
entertainment,  in  both  of  which  the  German  language  is 
so  rich.  To  these  libraries  sermonic  literature,  books  of 
devotion,  and  technical  works,  all  of  which  ought  to  be  the 
property  of  the  individual,  are  not  admitted;  and  books  that 
are  in  any  wise  inimical  to  religion,  morality,  the  Church, 
and  the  State  are  rigorously  excluded.  It  is  of  the  first  im- 
portance, therefore,  that  the  person  entrusted  with  the  selec- 
tion of  books  be  thoroughly  competent  to  judge  of  their 
contents. 

Over  10,000  such  people's  libraries  are  found  in  Germany, 
a  very  large  proportion  of  which  were  established  or  are 
still  managed  by  pastors,  and  the  purchase  money  for  which 
was  provided  by  societies,  congregations,  and  individuals. 
Their  use  is  either  free  or  for  a  small  consideration. 

In  our  American  churches  neighborhood  libraries  of  this 

518,304  persons  out  of  an  estimated  population  for  the  city  of  570,000.  The 
four  highest  classes  of  library  matter,  counted  by  books  issued,  are  fiction, 
542,238  volumes,  or  54.26  per  cent.;  literature,  77,705  volumes,  or  7.77  per  cent.; 
useful  arts,  33,405  volumes,  or  3.34  per  cent.,  and  sociology,  114,785  volumes, 
or  11.49  percent.;  while  religious  works  reach  19,700  volumes,  or  1.97  per  cent.; 
the  third  from  the  lowest  in  the  percentage  list.  The  conclusion  reached  by 
the  report  is  that  Pittsburgh  ranks  fifth  as  a  book-buying  city  and  third  as  to 
quality  of  books.  Only  philosophy  and  philology  stand  lower  than  religious 
works  read — 19,700  books  out  of  nearly  one  million  drawn  out  during  1909 
puts  religious  books  almost  out  of  commission,  and  shows  how  necessary  it  is 
for  the  Church  to  make  up  in  other  ways,  privately,  the  appalling  dearth. 
When  fiction,  much  of  it  vile  and  most  of  it  worthless,  constitutes  over  one- 
half  the  library  reading,  and  sociology,  much  of  it  theory,  for  which  there  is 
scant  practice,  fills  up  over  three-fifths  of  library  reading,  and  religion  has  a 
scant  one-fiftieth  of  the  whole,  there  is  room  for  the  Church  to  'stop,  look,  and 
listen,'  for  there  is  danger  ahead." — Rev.  Dr.  I.  M.  WALLACE  in  The  Lutheran, 
March  24,  1910. 


PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL        131 

kind  could  easily  be  maintained  by  congregational  societies 
and  be  made  productive  of  much  good.  Even  the  Sunday 
school  libraries,  if  they  were  more  carefully  selected  and 
graded,  could  to  an  extent  serve  a  similarly  useful  purpose. 

f.  Music  AND  ART 

It  was  Luther  who  said:  "I  am  not  of  the  opinion  that 
through  the  Gospel  all  arts  should  be  banished  and  driven 
away,  as  some  zealots  want  to  make  us  believe;  but  I  wish  to 
see  all  arts,  especially  music,  in  the  service  of  Him  who 
created  and  gave  them."  Than  Luther  no  one  ever  had  a 
better  understanding  of  the  vast  influence  of  sacred  song  in 
the  religious  life  of  the  people.  To  music  he  assigned  the 
first  place  after  divinity;  "  for,  like  this,"  he  says  again,  "  it 
sets  the  soul  at  rest  and  places  it  in  a  most  happy  mood — 
a  clear  proof  that  the  demon  who  creates  such  sad  sorrows  and 
ceaseless  torments  retires  as  fast  before  music  and  its  sounds 
as  before  divinity.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  seed  of  many 
virtues  exists  in  the  minds  of  those  who  love  music ;  but  those 
who  are  not  moved  by  it,  in  my  estimation,  resemble  sticks 
and  stones."  Hence  he  was  as  much  concerned  to  give  the 
people  proper  hymns  and  songs  as  he  was  to  give  them  a  pure 
Gospel  and  an  open  Bible.  To  promote  his  great  reformatory 
movement  he  not  only  wrote  thirty-seven  hymns  and  para- 
phrases himself,  but  encouraged  others  to  make  similar 
contributions.  Many  of  these  were  sung  to  familiar  melodies 
derived  from  the  folk-songs;  and  we  are  told,  therefore,  that 
"  a  hymn  had  scarcely  gushed  from  the  heart  of  a  poet  until 
it  spread  everywhere  among  the  people,  permeated  families 
and  churches,  was  sung  before  every  door,  in  workshops, 
marketplaces,  streets,  and  fields,  and  with  a  single  stroke 
won  whole  cities  to  the  evangelical  faith."1 

In  view  of  such  results  it  is  quite  natural  to  find  that 
many  leaders  of  the  Inner  Mission  movement  have  from  the 
beginning  placed  a  high  estimate  upon  the  spiritual  and 

1  KURTZ:   Church  History.    American  ed.     Vol.  ii,  p.  141. 


132  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

educational  value  of  music.  Sacred  song  was  most  dili- 
gently cultivated  in  Francke's  Orphanage  at  Halle  and  in 
Zeller's  Refuge  for  Children  at  Beuggen ;  with  a  better  under- 
standing of  the  child  nature  and  a  proper  appreciation  of 
the  joyous  freedom  that  must  be  accorded  it,  Falk,  in  his 
"  Lutherhof  "  at  Weimar,  also  made  use  of  the  best  secular 
folk-songs;  Wichern  edited  and  issued  Unsere  Lieder  for  the 
use  of  the  Rauhe  Haus  at  Hamburg;  here  was  published  and 
introduced  the  abridged  edition  of  Chevalier  Bunsen's 
hymn  book  (1846),  which,  in  its  larger  first  edition,  marked 
the  beginning  of  the  reaction  against  the  hymn  book  vandal- 
ism of  the  eighteenth  and  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth 
century;  in  the  Deaconess  Motherhouse  at  Neuendettelsau 
Lohe  again  revived  the  singing  of  the  psalms  in  the  minor 
services  of  the  Lutheran  Church;  Pastor  Kuhlo  of  the  Eliza- 
beth Deaconess  House  in  Berlin  was  responsible  for  the  widely 
used  Lau&a  Sion,  and  Pastor  Volkening,  of  Westphalia,  for 
the  very  influential  Missionsharfe;  hundreds  of  singing 
unions  and  trombone  choirs  in  the  different  provinces  help 
to  make  many  festival  occasions  highly  impressive  and 
edifying  by  their  cooperation;  while  in  scores  of  hospitals 
the  Sunday  afternoon  song  services  of  the  deaconesses  serve 
to  bring  spiritual  refreshment  and  serious  thought  to  many 
hearts. 

Nor  is  music  the  only  art  that  the  Inner  Mission  draws 
into  its  service.  The  great  facts  of  redemption  may  be  set 
forth  in  picture  and  stone,  as  well  as  in  speech  and  song. 
As  speech  and  song  appeal  to  the  heart  through  the  ear,  so 
the  noble  creations  of  the  painter,  the  sculptor,  and  the 
architect  speak  to  the  heart  through  the  eye.  It  was  Luther 
again  who  said:  "  Would  to  God  that  I  could  persuade  those 
who  can  afford  it  to  paint  the  whole  Bible  on  their  houses, 
inside  and  outside,  so  that  all  might  see;  this  would,  indeed, 
be  a  Christian  work.  For  I  am  conviced  that  it  is  God's 
will  that  we  should  hear  and  learn  what  He  has  done,  espe- 
cially what  Christ  suffered.  But  when  I  hear  these  things, 
and  meditate  upon  them,  I  find  it  impossible  not  to  picture 


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CARE  AND   TRAINING  OF  CHILDREN  133 

them  in  my  heart.  Whether  I  want  to  or  not,  when  I  hear 
of  Christ,  a  human  form  hanging  upon  a  cross  rises  up  in  my 
heart;  just  as  I  see  my  natural  face  reflected  when  I  look  into 
water.  Now  if  it  is  not  sinful  for  me  to  have  Christ's  picture 
in  my  heart,  why  should  it  be  sinful  to  have  it  before  my 
eyes?" 

To  foster  Christian  art  of  the  highest  type  in  the  churches 
and  homes  of  Protestant  Germany  societies  have  been 
organized  in  each  of  the  four  kingdoms  comprised  in  the 
German  Empire,  to  wit,  in  Prussia  (1851),  in  Wurttemberg 
(1857),  in  Saxony  (1863),  and  in  Bavaria  (1884),  with 
headquarters  respectively  in  Berlin,  Stuttgart,  Dresden, 
and  Nuremberg. 

Paramentic,  or  the  art  of  ecclesiastical  embroidery,  has 
been  highly  developed  by  the  so-called  Paramentenvereine. 
The  first  of  these,  organized  in  1858,  owes  its  existence  to 
Pastor  Lohe  of  the  Deaconess  House  at  Neuendettelsau. 
Now  there  are  almost  a  score  of  such  societies.  Most  of 
them  are  closely  affiliated  with  deaconess  houses,  where 
sisters  of  a  high  degree  of  skill  engage  in  the  beautiful  art. 
The  work  itself  is  a  labor  of  love,  and  only  the  cost  of  pro- 
duction is  charged.  Of  vast  service  in  the  development  of 
this  branch  of  Christian  art  were  Pastor  Moritz  Meurer 
(1806-1877),  and  Professor  Martin  Eugen  Beck  (1833-1903), 
the  former  as  adviser,  and  the  latter  as  designer. 


II.   The  Care  and  Training  of  Children 

No  more  important  work  can  engage  our  attention  than 
that  of  the  proper  care  and  training  of  the  young.  It  is 
in  childhood  and  youth  that  those  impressions  are  made 
and  those  habits  are  formed  that,  as  a  rule,  give  shape  to 
the  entire  subsequent  life.  The  influential  factors  that 
enter  into  the  development  of  a  good  character  are  a  proper 
environment,  and  the  right  instruction  of  heart,  mind,  and 
hand.  For  all  this  the  Inner  Mission  makes  provision  in  its 
various  institutions  and  agencies;  it  adds  a  large  measure  of 


134  FORMS  OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

purely  physical  care;  and  the  inspiration  for  it  all  is  the  word 
of  the  Master:  "  Whoso  shall  receive  one  such  little  child  in 
My  name  receiveth  Me." 

a.  DAY  NURSERIES 

The  day  nursery  is  designed  to  relieve  a  need  that  is  most 
frequently  encountered  among  the  poor  of  large  cities.  In 
these  many  mothers  for  a  variety  of  reasons  are  obliged  to 
work  out  in  order  to  make  a  living  for  the  family.  But 
with  one  or  more  small  children  to  care  for,  this  would 
obviously  be  impossible  unless  some  one  could  be  found  to 
take  a  mother's  place  during  the  day.  This  the  day  nursery 
does,  giving  such  mothers  a  chance  to  accept  employment, 
and  providing  for  their  little  ones  a  place  in  every  way  far 
better  than  the  homes  from  which  most  of  them  come. 

The  first  day  nursery  (Fr.  creche,  Ger.  Krippe  =  a  crib  or 
manger,  to  remind  of  the  manger  at  Bethlehem)  was  opened 
in  Paris  in  1844  by  F.  Marbeau,  who,  as  a  city  official,  had 
learned  to  know  something  of  the  condition  of  the  poor,  espe- 
cially of  working  women  and  their  children.  He  speedily 
found  imitators,  and  within  seven  years  there  were  four 
hundred  day  nurseries  in  France.  Thence  the  new  institu- 
tion spread  to  other  Catholic  countries,  and  by  degrees  was 
also  introduced  in  Protestant  Germany.  According  to  the 
1910  statistics  of  the  Kaiserswerth  Union  of  Motherhouses 
154  day  nurseries  were  then  in  charge  of  250  deaconesses. 

Into  a  day  nursery  children  ranging  in  age  from  four  weeks 
to  about  three  years  are  received,  and  are  cared  for  on  every 
working  day  from  morning  until  evening.  To  guard  against 
contagion  a  physician's  certificate  of  good  health  must  ac- 
company the  application.  Illegitimate  children  (for  whom 
special  institutions  exist)  are,  as  a  rule,  not  admitted.  Care- 
ful investigation  should  in  every  case  determine  whether  it 
is  urgent,  or  whether  the  mother  who  applies  has  improper 
motives.  Such  circumstances  like  these  should  be  inquired 
into:  Does  the  mother  really  have  to  work  out?  Does  she 


CARE  AND  TRAINING   OF  CHILDREN  135 

seek  honorable  employment?  Has  she  good  habits?  Or 
does  she  wish  to  bring  her  chid  to  the  nursery  only  to  escape  the 
duties  and  responsibilities  of  a  mother?  To  receive  the  child 
or  children  of  such  a  mother  would  be  to  encourage  her  in 
a  vicious  course.  Besides  its  other  necessary  apartments,  a 
well-conducted  day  nursery  must  have  at  least  one  general 
living  room  and  one  quiet  sleeping  room  for  the  children. 
The  latter  should  be  furnished  with  cribs,  and  in  the  former 
should  be  found  a  "  baby  walker  "  to  enable  the  youngest 
children  to  learn  to  walk.  To  avoid  accidents  and  injury 
only  the  most  necessary  furniture  and  harmless  toys  should 
be  provided.  In  the  nursery  each  child  wears  the  clothing 
of  the  institution,  its  own  clothing  meanwhile  exposed  as 
much  as  possible  to  the  air.  The  change  this  involves,  morn- 
ing and  evening,  affords  opportunity  for  a  thorough  washing 
of  each  child,  and  for  discovering  any  external  signs  of  such 
diseases  as  scarlet  fever,  measles,  etc.  As  a  protection  to 
others,  sick  children  are  sent  to  a  hospital  or  returned  to  their 
parents;  and  in  case  of  an  epidemic  in  the  nursery  it  must  be 
temporarily  closed.  For  the  physical  well-being  of  the 
children,  nourishing  diet,  fresh  air,  plenty  of  sunlight,  cleanli- 
ness, and  abundant  sleep  are  essentials;  whilst  those  in  charge, 
in  addition  to  teaching  good  habits,  obedience,  order,  pleasant 
plays,  and  how  to  speak  and  walk,  must  also  endeavor  to 
put  into  the  hearts  of  the  older  children  the  first  simple 
truths  of  Scripture,  and  upon  their  lips  the  first  words  of 
prayer. 

The  day  nursery  furthermore  affords  an  excellent  oppor- 
tunity for  becoming  acquainted  with  the  mothers  and  for 
influencing  the  home  life.  Very  often  these  do  not  under- 
stand the  very  first  principles  of  child  care  and  training. 
But  much  may  be  done  to  bring  about  better  conditions  by 
utilizing  the  morning  and  evening  contact  with  the  mothers 
to  give  them  proper  instruction.  Says  one  of  the  Year 
Books  of  Grace  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  New  York: 
"  The  Mothers'  Meetings,  held  one  evening  in  the  month, 
have  been  most  successful,  both  in  the  large  numbers  who 


136  FORMS   OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

attended  and  in  the  interest  manifested.  We  try  to  make 
these  evenings  practical  and  helpful,  as  well  as  bright  and 
interesting,  and  we  feel  that  these  meetings,  together  with 
the  daily  Mothers'  Afternoon  Tea,  have  been  most  beneficent 
factors  in  our  work.  The  tea  is  provided  for  the  women  when 
they  come  in  tired  from  their  day's  work  to  take  their  children 
home.  One  of  the  deaconesses  is  always  in  attendance4,  the 
table  is  daintily  spread  with  tea  urn  and  pretty,  simple 
china,  and  from  sixty  to  seventy  women  are  usually  present. 
One  important  feature  of  the  work  is  that  of  knowing  the 
mothers  and  all  about  their  circumstances;  and  twice  a  day 
the  deaconesses  make  a  point  of  seeing  them  and  having  a 
little  talk  with  them." 

A  day  nursery  should  'maintain  close  relations  with  other 
forms  of  benevolence.  It  may  form  a  part  of  the  complex 
benevolent  operations  of  a  congregation  or  be  associated 
with  a  general  city  mission.  For  the  care  of  sickly  children 
it  should  have  some  arrangement  with  an  established  hospital. 
For  properly  qualified  persons  to  take  charge  of  the  work 
it  should  look  to  a  deaconess  house  or  some  other  institution 
that  furnishes  trained  workers;  and  where  training-schools 
for  working  girls  are  found,  the  domestics  and  other  assistants 
should  be  taken  from  these. 

The  day  nursery  has  served  its  purpose:  i,  When  it  has 
been  a  helping  hand  to  hard-working  mothers  in  the  struggle 
for  existence;  2,  when  it  has  aided  the  child  in  its  physical 
and  spiritual  development  during  the  most  tender  period  of 
its  life,  and  through  the  child  possibly  also  reached  the 
family  with  influences  for  good. 

For  the  service  rendered  by  a  day  nursery  a  slight  charge 
should  be  made  whenever  practicable. 

b.  LITTLE  CHILDREN'S  SCHOOLS 

The  little  children's  school  (Kleinkinderschule  or  Warte- 
schule),  among  us  in  America  also  called  the  Christian 
kindergarten,  is  designed  for  a  certain  class  of  children  who 


CARE  AND   TRAINING   OF  CHILDREN  137 

are  beyond  the  day  nursery  age  and  not  yet  old  enough  to  be 
admitted  to  the  regular  day  school.  It  must,  however,  not 
be  confused  with  the  kindergarten  of  Frobel.  The  latter 
seeks  to  serve  all  alike,  regardless  of  any  special  need,  and 
leaving  out  of  view  the  Biblical  teachings  concerning  sin  and 
grace  (John  3  :  3,  5,  6  et  al.),  proceeds  upon  the  basis  of  a 
purely  natural  development.  The  little  children's  school, 
on  the  contrary,  recognizing  the  fact  that  the  Christian 
mother  is,  as  a  rule,  the  best  teacher  of  children  from  three 
to  six  years  of  age,  has  for  its  primary  purpose  the  care  and 
training  of  such  children  as  lack  the  proper  advantages  at 
home.  This  is  the  case  when  mothers  are  obliged  to  go  out 
by  the  day  to  work,  or  when  they  wilfully  neglect  their 
children,  or  when  they,  indeed,  have  the  time  and  the  will  but 
not  the  ability  to  give  their  children  the  right  training. 
As  distinguished  from  the  Frobel  kindergarten,  the  funda- 
mental principle  underlying  the  little  children's  school  is 
that  it  must  be  distinctively  Christian  both  hi  its  view  of 
the  child  and  in  the  methods  it  follows. 

The  first  school  of  this  type  was  established  by  Pastor 
Oberlin,  hi  the  Steinthal,  Alsatia,  in  1779.  During  his  long 
pastorate  Oberlin  transformed  the  Steinthal  physically  and 
spiritually.  In  his  work  with  children  he  was  aided  by  his 
gifted  and  pious  housemaid,  Louise  Scheppler,  who  gathered 
the  neglected  ones  together,  became  their  teacher,  and,  like 
a  devoted  mother,  took  the  deepest  interest  in  their  spiritual 
and  temporal  well-being.  Similar  schools  were  begun  by 
Prof.  Walzeck  in  Berlin,  in  1819,  and  by  Fliedner  at  Kaisers- 
werth,  in  1836.  In  1842  the  latter  also  established  a  seminary 
for  the  training  of  teachers  for  little  children's  schools. 
Through  Fliedner  the  work  in  such  schools  likewise  became  a 
branch  of  deaconess  activity,  and  quite  a  number  of  mother- 
houses  now  make  the  training  of  teachers  a  specialty,  among 
them  the  Philadelphia  and  Milwaukee  Motherhouses  in  our 
own  land.  Much  good  service  was  also  rendered  the  cause  by 
Baron  von  Bissing  (1810-1880),  founder  of  the  Oberlin 
House  (1874),  at  Nowawes,  near  Potsdam,  and  by  the  sub- 


138  FORMS   OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

sequent  director  of  the  same,  Johann  Friedrich  Ranke  (1821- 
1891),  whose  numerous  publications  on  the  subject  have  a 
permanent  value.  At  present  Germany  has  fully  3000 
little  children's  schools,  with  a  combined  attendance  of 
about  200,000  children.  According  to  the  statistics  of  1910, 
1117  of  these  were  conducted  by  1216  deaconesses. 

The  material  equipment  of  a  little  children's  school  con- 
sists of  a  good-sized  room  on  the  ground  floor,  furnished 
with  low  chairs,  a  few  low  tables,  a  piano  or  small  organ, 
and  a  closet  for  storing  the  playthings,  wall  charts,  and 
other  apparatus;  a  well-shaded  play  ground,  with  sand 
heap;  and,  if  the  children  remain  the  entire  day,  a  place 
where  a  light  luncheon  can  be  prepared  and  served,  and  a 
room  with  a  few  cots  where  the  smaller  ones  can  take  a 
nap.  The  main  room  should  be  made  .as  attractive  as 
possible. 

Of  supreme  importance  is  the  selection  of  the  teacher. 
Whenever  possible  she  should  be  specially  trained  for  the 
work.  Among  her  indispensable  qualifications  must  be  a 
love  of  children,  patience,  tact,  self-control,  understanding 
of  the  child  nature,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  best  methods 
of  dealing  with  it.  She  must  possess  the  inventive  faculty 
and  be  resourceful,  so  as  to  enable  her  to  vary  the  exercises 
sufficiently  and  thus  to  prevent  them  from  falling  into  a  mere 
mechanical  and  stereotyped  routine.  She  must  be  able  to 
narrate  Bible  and  other  stories  and  to  impart  instruction 
from  pictures  and  objects  in  the  most  child-like  and  interest- 
ing manner.  She  should  always  have  at  her  command  a  large 
repertoire  of  simple  hymns  and  songs  set  to  good  melodies. 
And  she  must  never  forget  that  the  little  children's  school 
is  not  the  place  for  the  systematic  teaching  and  study  of  even 
the  most  elementary  branches,  but  an  institution  in  which 
the  requirements  of  the  child  nature  are  met  by  the  judicious 
combination  and  variation  of  simple  oral  instruction,  song, 
and  play.  Thus  in  a  way  that  imposes  no  task  on  the  children 
they  unconsciously  learn  lessons  of  obedience,  order,  neatness, 
etc.,  and,  above  all,  of  God  and  the  things  of  God. 


CARE  AND   TRAINING   OF  CHILDREN  139 

Though  differing  fundamentally  from  the  Frobel  kinder- 
garten, the  little  children's  school  finds  many  of  the  plays 
and  occupations  of  the  former  exceedingly  useful  and  does 
not  hesitate  to  adopt  them. 

Should  the  number  of  children  exceed  forty,  an  assistant 
is  required;  and  if  a  luncheon  is  served  the  additional  work 
which  this  entails  must  be  done  by  another  person.  A 
small  tuition  fee  is  charged,  and  the  vacations  correspond  to 
those  of  other  schools. 

For  a  further  elucidation  of  this  subject  see  "  The  Christian 
Kindergarten,"  by  Dr.  Theodore  E.  Schmauk,  General 
Council  Publication  House,  Philadelphia. 

c.  SUNDAY  SCHOOLS 

For  the  spiritual  benefit  of  the  individual  himself,  as  well 
as  to  make  the  most  intelligent  and  loyal  churchmen  and 
citizens,  the  Lutheran  Church,  following  the  lead  of  the  great 
Reformer,  has  from  the  beginning  laid  stress  upon  the  neces- 
sity of  combining  an  adequate  amount  of  religious  with 
secular  instruction.  "  In  its  various  homes  in  Europe  it  has 
always  had  the  especial  supervision  of  all  the  elementary 
instruction,  which  it  has  conducted  upon  the  principle  that 
the  religious  training  is  the  center  of  all  education.  The 
Catechism,  Bible  history,  the  committing  to  memory  of 
copious  Scripture  texts  and  of  the  best  hymns  of  the  Church, 
and  Church  music,  are  prominent  features  of  every-day 
instruction.  It  is  a  system  which  produces  intelligent  and 
earnest  Christian  laymen,  and  devout  and  capable  Christian 
wives  and  mothers,  who  are  not  readily  led  astray,  even,  if 
rationalism  should  dominate  in  the  theological  training  in  the 
universities."1  It  cannot,  therefore,  be  a  matter  of  surprise 
that  in  those  countries  which  are  predominantly  Lutheran, 
and  in  which  trained  teachers  inculcate  the  fundamental 
facts  and  doctrines  of  Christianity  during  the  week,  the 
Sunday-school  system,  as  we  know  it,  has  not  been  very 
widely  introduced. 

1  JACOBS:  American  Church  History  Series.    Vol.  iv,  p.  12. 


140  FORMS   OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

The  modern  Sunday  school  is  almost  distinctively  an  in- 
stitution of  English-speaking  countries.  Robert  Raikes 
(1735-1811),  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Gloucester  Journal, 
England,  is  commonly  regarded  as  its  founder.  "  Business 
calling  him  into  the  suburbs  of  that  city  in  1780,  where 
many  youth  were  employed  in  the  pin  and  other  factories, 
his  heart  was  touched  by  the  groups  of  ragged,  wretched, 
and  cursing  children.  He  engaged  four  female  teachers  to 
receive  and  instruct  in  reading  and  in  the  Catechism  such 
children  as  should  be  sent  to  them  on  Sunday.  The  children 
were  required  to  come  with  clean  hands  and  faces,  and  hair 
combed,  and  with  such  clothing  as  they  had.  They  were  to 
stay  from  ten  to  twelve,  then  to  go  home;  to  return  at  one, 
and  after  a  lesson  to  be  conducted  to  church;  after  church  to 
repeat  portions  of  the  Catechism;  to  go  home  at  five  quietly, 
without  playing  in  the  streets.  Diligent  scholars  received 
rewards  of  Bibles,  Testaments,  books,  combs,  shoes,  and 
clothing;  the  teachers  were  paid  a  shilling  a  day."1  The 
movement,  though  violently  opposed  by  some,  soon  found 
many  adherents;  and  Sunday  schools  began  to  multiply 
rapidly  throughout  England,  Scotland,  Ireland,  upon  the 
Continent,  and  in  America.  In  a  short  time  gratuitous 
instruction  by  volunteers  superseded  the  system  of  paid 
teachers,  secular  branches  were  eliminated,  and  the  Sunday 
school  became  more  and  more  an  institution  for  systematic 
Bible  study.  By  1827  the  number  of  scholars  enrolled  in  the 
Sunday  schools  of  the  different  countries  was  estimated  at 
1,350,000,  and  by  1851  at  no  less  than  3,000,000  in  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland  alone.  To-day  there  are  upwards  of 
24,000,000  pupils  in  the  Sunday  schools  of  the  world,  taught 
by  over  2,440,000  teachers.  More  than  21,300,000  pupils, 
with  2,300,000  teachers,  are  found  in  English-speaking  lands. 

Long  before  the  movement  inaugurated  by  Raikes,  Ger- 
many had  its  so-called  Kinderlehre,  or  catechetical  service  for 
children,  usually  held  on  Sunday  afternoon.  For  this  the 
Church  Orders  of  the  sixteenth  century  already  made  pro- 
i  SCHAFF-HERZOG  :  Encyclopedia.  Vol.  iv,  1891,  p.  2262. 


CARE  AND  TRAINING   OF  CHILDREN  141 

vision.  It  was  usually  conducted  by  the  pastor  himself, 
and  consisted  of  the  declaratory  explanation  and  interroga- 
tory review  of  the  Catechism  and  Bible  History.  For  just 
such  work  in  church,  school,  and  family  Luther  had  prepared 
his  Small  Catechism,  to  which  was  subsequently  added  a 
great  mass  of  literature  intended  for  the  Christian  instruc- 
tion of  the  young.  The  method  of  the  Kinderlehre  was  espe- 
cially fostered  by  Spener  and  Francke,  and  found  its  way  to 
America  through  Muhlenberg.  Through  Spener  and  Francke 
"  the  germ  of  the  modern  Sunday-school  system  was  intro- 
duced into  it  by  the  bringing  in  of  Scripture  proof  passages 
and  the  free  use  of  Bible  texts."1 

In  Germany  the  first  Sunday  school  of  the  English  type 
was  organized  in  a  suburb  of  Hamburg,  in  1825,  by  J.  G. 
Oncken,  an  agent  of  the  London  Sunday  School  Union 
(1803),  and  the  Lutheran  Pastor  Rautenberg.  This  school 
deserves  to  be  remembered  as  Wichern's  first  field  of  labor; 
and  the  knowledge  of  existing  conditions  which  his  connec- 
tion with  it  enabled  him  to  gather  had  much  to  do  with 
shaping  his  subsequent  career.  Not  until  1863,  however, 
did  the  Anglo-American  Sunday  school  obtain  a  real  foothold 
in  Germany,  chiefly  through  the  efforts  of  Albert  Woodruff 
(1807-1891),  of  New  York,  assisted  by  his  interpreter,  W. 
Brockelmann  (1816-1892),  a  merchant  of  Bremen.  Mr. 
Woodruff  introduced  the  class  or  group  system,  with  a  teacher 
for  each  class,  as  distinguished  from  the  Kinderlehre  of  the 
pastor,  for  children  who  are  to  be  confirmed  within  a  year  or 
two,  and  from  the  Kinder  gottesdienst,  held  by  the  pastor  with 
children  of  all  ages.  The  latter  is,  however,  the  name  gener- 
ally applied  to  the  German  Sunday  school,  whether  it  be 
divided  into  classes  or  not;  and  of  such  schools  there  are  to- 
day in  Germany  over  6000,  with  about  800,000  children. 

Besides  4862  parochial  schools  in  the  Lutheran  Church  in 
America,  attended  by  244,198  pupils,2  there  is  hardly  a  con- 
gregation that  does  not  have  its  Sunday  school.  Where 


:   Lutheran  Church  Review.    Vol.  xv,  p.  547. 
2  Statistics  for  1910. 


142  FORMS   OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

there  are  no  parochial  schools,  the  Sunday  school  is  designed 
to  supply,  as  far  as  possible,  the  lack  of  religious  instruction 
in  the  public  schools,  and  alas!  too  often  also  in  the  family; 
though  no  one  would  seriously  maintain  that  an  hour  a  week 
suffices  for  this  purpose.  Hence,  it  is  all  the  more  necessary 
that  the  Sunday  school  be  made  as  efficient  as  circumstances 
will  permit.  The  pastor  of  the  congregation  should  also 
be  its  pastor  and  guide.  The  teaching  force  should  consist  of 
persons  who  have  abundant  Scripture  knowledge  and  are 
thoroughly  rooted  and  grounded  in  the  faith,  who  love  their 
pupils  and  carry  them  on  a  prayerful  heart,  who  have  a  due 
sense  of  their  personal  responsibility  and  conscientiously 
prepare  for  their  duties,  and  who,  both  in  what  they  teach 
and  by  what  they  are,  seek  to  mold  the  life  and  character 
of  those  committed  to  their  charge.  The  system  of  instruc- 
tion should  be  graded;1  and  to  the  care  bestowed  upon  this 
should  be  added  a  reverent  concern  for  the  devotional  part 
of  the  Sunday-school  session.  The  children  should  early  be 
familiarized  with  the  simpler  forms  of  the  Church's  liturgical 
treasures;  they  should  be  taught  to  sing  only  such  hymns  and 
music  as  are  conducive  to  a  healthy  development  of  their 
spiritual  life;  and  all  the  while,  as  far  as  can  be,  the  course  of 
the  Church  year  should  be  kept  in  view,  both  in  the  worship 
and  in  the  instruction.  Thus  by  what  the  children  are 
taught  of  Bible  and  Catechism,  and  by  the  worship  in  which 
they  engage,  will  the  Sunday  school  help  to  fit  them  to  take 
their  place  in  the  adult  congregation  as  devout  and  intelligent 
members  of  the  Church,  and  to  become  upright  and  honorable 
citizens.2 

The  literature  which  the  Sunday-school  movement  has 
called  forth  in  the  way  of  books,  lesson-helps,  and  periodicals 
is  almost  beyond  computation;  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  per- 

1  Attention  is  directed  to  the  Lutheran  Graded  Series  issued  by  the  General 
Council  Publication  Board,  1522  Arch  Street,  Philadelphia,  which  applies 
"scientific  principles  of  pedagogy  to  the  religious  and  moral  training  of  the 
youth,"  and  is  strongly  endorsed  by  educators. 

2  For  a  comprehensive  survey  of  this  whole  subject,  see  the  Lutheran  Church 
Review,  October,  1896. 


CARE  AND   TRAINING   OF   CHILDREN  143 

haps  at  no  time  in  the  history  of  the  Christian  Church  has  the 
Bible  been  more  generally  and  systematically  studied  than  at 
present. 

d.  SHELTERS  AND  INDUSTRIAL  SCHOOLS  FOR  POOR  CHILDREN 

The  same  need  that  brought  the  day  nursery  and  the  little 
children's  school  into  being,  is  responsible  for  the  existence 
of  shelters  and  industrial  schools  for  poor  children.  In 
the  manufacturing  and  poorer  districts  of  all  the  larger  cities 
there  are  multitudes  of  school  children  whose  parents  are  by 
necessity  obliged  to  be  away  from  home  the  entire  day  in 
order  to  earn  a  living.  Where  and  how  shall  such  children 
spend  the  time  that  intervenes  between  the  school  hours 
(in  Germany  from  i  or  3  to  7  p.  M.)  and  the  return  of  the 
parents  from  work?  Shall  it  be  on  the  street,  exposed  to 
those  demoralizing  influences  that  so  often  lead  to  a  criminal 
career,  or  in  a  place  that  will  help  to  develop  habits  and  char- 
acter of  the  right  kind? 

With  the  latter  object  in  view  two  kinds  of  institutions 
have  come  into  existence  in  Germany,  the  Knabenarbeits- 
anstalten  and  the  Kinderhorte.  The  former,  dating  from  1828, 
make  provision  chiefly  for  the  training  and  employment  of 
the  hands,  teach  the  elements  of  the  simpler  trades,  and  pay 
a  small  compensation  for  the  work  done.  The  latter  rather 
seek  to  be  a  temporary  substitute  for  the  family  and  the 
well-regulated  household,  in  which  the  preparation  of  the 
lessons  for  the  following  day  and  light  manual  labor  alternate 
with  play  and  healthful  recreation.  The  first  Kinderhort  was 
established  by  Professor  Schmid-Schwarzenberg  of  Erlangen, 
in  1872.  To-day  their  number  exceeds  three  hundred,  into 
which  more  then  25,000  children  are  gathered.  Those  for 
girls  are  usually  in  charge  of  deaconesses. 

In  our  own  land  such  movements  as  that  for  vacation 
schools  and  playgrounds,  and  some  of  the  methods  followed 
by  child-saving  societies,  have  practically  the  same  preventive 
purpose  in  view.  Thus,  to  quote  but  a  single  illustration, 


144  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

the  Children's  Aid  Society  of  New  York  has  its  nineteen  day 
and  eight  evening  industrial  schools,  in  which,  besides  the  ele- 
mentary branches,  are  taught  such  subjects  as  housewifery, 
needle  work,  nature  study,  drawing  and  brush  work,  stories 
from  history,  clay  modelling,  cooking,  dressmaking  and 
millinery  for  girls,  and  elementary  carpentry  and  the  first 
steps  in  cabinet  making,  cobbling,  chair-caning,  basket  mak- 
ing, Venetian  iron  work  and  pyrography,  as  well  as  cooking, 
for  the  boys.  The  report  goes  on  to  say:  "  The  class  of 
children  that  we  are  striving  to  reach  are  so  restless  and  lack- 
ing in  ambition  and  so  rebellious  against  efforts  at  discipline 
that  many  of  them  can  only  be  kept  in  school  by  perpetual 
change  in  the  subject  offered  for  class  work.  These  many 
departments  of  manual  training  answer  this  requirement, 
and  at  the  same  time  are  useful  to  the  children,  as  is  proved 
by  the  fact  that  the  boys  and  girls  obtain  better  wages  and 
more  rapid  promotion  in  the  factories  and  shops." 

As  in  the  case  of  the  day  nursery  and  the  little  children's 
school,  these  schools  for  older  children  again  furnish  the 
opportunity  for  establishing  friendly  relations  with  the 
families  from  which  the  children  come.  Here  pressing  needs 
may  often  be  judiciously  relieved,  and,  above  all,  such  advice 
and  instruction  be  given  as  will  help  to  lift  the  entire  family 
to  a  higher  plane  of  living. 

e.  THE  CARE  AND  TRAINING  OF  DEPENDENT  CHILDREN 

For  the  care  and  training  of  orphans  and  other  dependent 
children  two  systems  are  in  vogue — the  institutional  and  the 
family.  Both  have  their  advantages  and  their  disadvantages. 
In  favor  of  the  former  it  is  claimed  that  a  well-managed  in- 
stitution secures  to  the  child  a  better  environment,  better 
sanitary  conditions,  better  facilities  for  intellectual,  physi- 
cal, and  religious  training,  and  better  protection  against  the 
corrupting  influences  of  the  street  than  is  usually  the  case 
under  the  placing-out  system.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  urged 
that  the  institutional  system,  besides  being  far  more  expen< 


CARE  AND   TRAINING   OF  CHILDREN  145 

sive,  is  artificial  and  stiff;  that  it  robs  the  child  of  the  joyous 
freedom  which  up  to  a  certain  point  the  child  nature  requires; 
that  it  destroys  initiative  and  individuality  by  making  life 
too  easy,  and  hence  does  not  prepare  the  child  for  the  duties 
and  experiences  of  real  life;  and  that  the  massing  of  large 
numbers  of  every  possible  grade  and  condition  often  results 
in  physical  and  moral  contamination.1 

The  advocates  of  the  placing-out  system  rightly  maintain 
that  the  family  is  the  God-ordained  institution  for  the  care 
and  training  of  children;  that  well-regulated  and  Christian 
home  life,  with  its  atmosphere  of  love  and  freedom,  is  the 
best  developer  of  character;  and  that  the  natural  home  gives 
opportunities  for  individual  treatment  and  sets  a  multitude 
of  beneficent  influences  at  work  that  are  too  often  not  found 
in  the  institution.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  it  must  not  be 
forgotten  that  for  placing-out  ideal  families  cannot  always 
be  found  in  sufficient  number,  especially  for  children  that 
already  betray  vicious  propensities;  that  families  will  often 
take  a  child  for  what  it  can  be  to  them  rather  than  for  what 
they  can  be  to  it;  that  sufficient  care  is  not  always  exercised 
in  the  selection  of  families;  that  frequent  mistakes  are  there- 
fore made,  to  the  detriment  of  the  child;  and  that,  perhaps 
above  all,  the  home-finding  agency,  with  many  children  to 
look  after,  cannot  perform  this  duty  with  a  sufficient  degree 
of  thoroughness. 

As  each  system  thus  has  its  favorable  and  its  unfavorable 

1  "How  is  a  child  to  learn  to  use  matches  if  he  lives  in  a  building  with  steam 
heat  and  electric  light?  How  will  the  child  learn  to  cook  in  the  ordinary 
home  where  nothing  but  great  ranges  are  used  for  cooking?  How  learn  to 
wash  under  ordinary  circumstances  where  the  laundry  does  work  for  one  or 
two  hundred  people?  What  experience  can  a  boy  have  here  that  would 
qualify  him  to  bring  in  wood?  How  learn  to  carry  water  where  there  is  noth- 
ing to  do  but  turn  the  stop-cock?  How  will  a  child  learn  to  tell  the  time  of 
day  where  everything  moves  at  the  stroke  of  a  bell  or  the  word  of  command? 
How  obtain  any  appreciation  whatever  of  the  value  of  money  when  everything 
comes  to  him  as  if  the  world  had  been  arranged  to  provide  him  with  each 
thing  that  he  needs  and  just  as  he  needs  it?  There  is,  m  fact,  no  proper 
development  of  the  child's  inventiveness  or  individuality,  or  even  of  his  ambi- 
tions. A  hundred  institution  children  deluged  with  toys  at  Christmas  enjoy 
them  less,  and  feel  less  gratitude,  than  the  children  of  the  individual  home 
who  have  learned  to  long  for  things,  and  learned  to  know  in  some  sort  What 
it  costs  to  provide  them." — WARNER:  American  Charities,  pp.  225,  226. 


146  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

side,  it  has  in  recent  years  been  found  best  to  combine  the 
most  useful  features  of  both.  Orphan  asylums  and  children's 
homes  are  becoming  more  and  more  only  temporary  refuges; 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  many  placing-out  societies  have 
found  it  necessary  to  establish  receiving  homes  in  which 
children  can  remain  and  undergo  some  preparatory  training 
until  the  proper  family  for  each  is  found.1 

The  class  of  children  usually  regarded  as  dependents  in- 
cludes, besides  orphans  and  half-orphans,  those  who  are 
cruelly  treated,  neglected  or  deserted,  or  whose  parents  are 
drunkards,  paupers,  or  criminals. 

The  modern  orphan  asylum  system  will  ever  remain  asso- 
ciated with  the  name  of  August  Hermann  Francke  (March  22, 
i663~June  8,  1727),  who  in  1695  began  a  school  for  poor 
children  at  Halle,  and  in  1698  opened  the  first  Lutheran  home 
for  orphans.  To  these  one  institution  after  the  other  was 
added,  so  that  by  the  year  of  Francke's  death  the  complex 
of  institutions  established  by  him  consisted  of  a  pedagogium 
(grammar  school),  a  Latin  school,  a  German  school,  an 
orphanage,  a  publication  concern,  a  drug  store,  and  a  large 
dining-hall  for  students  and  poor  day  scholars.  The  total 
number  of  children  in  the  several  schools  was  2200  (among 
them  134  orphans),  in  the  instruction  of  whom  8  inspectors, 
167  male,  and  8  female  teachers  were  employed.  The 
"  Francke  Institutions  "  are  still  attended  by  fully  3000 
pupils,  and  constitute  one  of  the  largest,  if  not  the  largest, 
establishment  in  the  world  in  which  the  aim  is  to  fit  children 
on  a  Christian  educational  basis  for  any  position  in  life. 

1  "  Temporary  detention  is  essential  as  preliminary  preparation  for  family 
life,  but  except  in  the  cases  of  defective  children — mentally  or  physically  defect- 
ive ones — it  has  little  value  after  it  has  served  the  purpose  named.  ...  It 
is  felt  that  institution  life  must  be  unnatural,  that  long  continuance  in  it  handi- 
caps the  boy  or  girl  for  outside  life.  What  a  child  needs  in  an  institution  is 
provided  for  it.  It  has  a  vague  idea  of  some  power  which  provides;  but  noth- 
ing is  required  of  him  or  her,  no  sacrifice,  no  effort.  Life  in  an  institution 
means  crippling  powers  intended  to  be  used:  life  in  a  family  means  using 
and  developing  these  powers.  .  .  .  No  child  should  stay  so  long  in  an 
institution  that  there  is  begotten  a  helplessness,  a  spirit  of  dependence,  than 
which  nothing  is  more  ignoble  in  itself  or  more  deplorable  in  its  consequences." 
— Mrs.  ANNE  B.  RICHARDSON:  History  of  Child  Saving  in  the  United  States, 
pp.  64,  65. 


CARE  AND   TRAINING  OF  CHILDREN  147 

The  impulse  given  by  Francke  soon  made  itself  widely  felt, 
and  resulted  in  the  founding  of  numerous  orphans'  homes 
throughout  Germany.1  In  England  George  Miiller  (1805- 
1898)  began  the  great  orphanage  at  Bristol,  in  1836;  and  in 
1904  there  were  in  the  United  States  1075  such  institutions, 
478  of  which  were  under  ecclesiastical  control,  including 
those  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 

During  the  first  half  of  the  last  century  the  placing-out 
system  sprang  into  favor  in  Germany,  and  to  carry  this 
system  into  execution  numerous  societies  called  Erziehungs- 
vereine  were  organized.  The  oldest  of  these  dates  from  the 
year  1823.  This  movement  was  especially  fostered  by  the 
Swiss  Pastor  Andreas  Bram  (1797-1882),  whose  society, 
organized  in  1845,  at  Neukirchen  on  the  Rhine,  became  the 
model  for  many  others.  It  was  to  be  the  purpose  of  such 
societies  to  find  suitable  Christian  families  for  the  care  and 
training  of  orphaned,  deserted,  and  neglected  children,  in 
which  normal  home  life  and  parental  love,  instruction,  and 
example  all  combined  to  develop  character,  and  where  effi- 
cient supervision  could  at  all  times  be  exercised  by  the  agents 
of  the  society. 

In  the  United  States  similar  societies  exist  to-day  under 
the  names  of  Children's  Aid,  Children's  Home,  and  Kinder- 
freund  Societies.  Of  the  latter  there  are  thirteen,  located 
chiefly  in  the  Middle  West  and  Northwest,  and  all  of  them 
connected  with  the  Missouri  Synod  of  the  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Church.  The  Children's  Aid  Society  of  New  York, 
founded  in  1853  by  Charles  Loring  Brace,  is  the  pioneer 
of  the  placing-out  system  in  this  country.  This  society,  with 
little  or  no  endowment,  and  at  a  cost  of  but  three-fourths 
of  a  million  dollars,  had  until  1903  rescued  and  placed  in 
family  homes  22,528  orphan  or  abandoned  children,  provided 
situations  at  wages  in  the  country  for  24,864  older  boys  and 
girls,  and  restored  5201  runaway  children  to  parents.  Says 
the  Fiftieth  Annual  Report:  "  Of  those  placed  in  family 
homes  in  the  West,  the  vast  majority  have  become  farmers 

1  Total  number  251  in  1899. 


148  FORMS  OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

or  farmers*  wives.  Of  the  others,  we  know,  from  our  care- 
fully kept  registers,  that  one  became  Governor  of  a  State,  and 
one  of  a  Territory,  two  have  been  members  of  Congress,  two 
sheriffs,  three  District  Attorneys,  three  County  Commis- 
sioners, and  several  have  been  members  of  State  Legislatures. 
In  the  business  world,  twenty-six  became  bankers,  four  hun- 
dred and  fifty-one  are  in  business,  thirty-four  are  lawyers, 
twenty-two  are  merchants,  seventeen  are  physicians,  eight 
are  postmasters,  thirty-nine  are  railroad  men,  several  being 
high  officials,  ten  are  real  estate  agents,  fifteen  are  journalists, 
eighty-five  are  teachers,  several  being  high  school  principals, 
and  one  a  city  Superintendent  of  Schools,  one  a  civil  engineer, 
over  one  thousand  entered  the  army  and  navy,  and  twenty- 
one  are  clergymen. 

"  What  a  record  is  this!  No  other  method  of  caring  for 
dependent  children  compares  with  this,  either  in  results 
accomplished  or  money  saved.  It  is  no  new  gospel.  It  is 
a  living  witness  to  the  old  social  order — family  life,  parental 
love  and  influence,  the  training  of  each  day's  common  ex- 
perience." 

Other  Children's  Aid  Societies,  notably  those  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  Massachusetts,  are  doing  similar  work  with 
correspondingly  good  results.  Children's  Home  Societies 
are  found  in  twenty-nine  states,  federated  in  1883  for  mutual 
cooperation  and  encouragement  into  the  National  Children's 
Home  Society,  with  headquarters  hi  Chicago.  These  have 
cared  for  more  than  28,000  children  in  twenty-five  years,  and 
are  now  caring  for  over  4000  each  year. 

Among  the  conclusions  of  the  Conference  on  the  Care  of 
Dependent  Children  held  by  invitation  of  President  Roose- 
velt in  Washington,  D.  C.,  January  25  and  26,  1909,  the 
following  perhaps  best  illustrate  the  present  trend  of  thought 
of  this  subject: 

"As  to  the  children  who  for  sufficient  reasons  must  be  re- 
moved from  their  own  homes,  or  who  have  no  homes,  it  is 
desirable  that,  if  normal  in  mind  and  body,  and  not  requiring 
special  training,  they  should  be  cared  for  in  families  whenever 


CARE   AND   TRAINING   OF   CHILDREN  149 

practicable.  The  carefully  selected  foster  home  is  for  the 
normal  child  the  best  substitute  for  the  natural  home.^  Such 
homes  should  be  selected  by  a  most  careful  process  of  investi- 
gation, carried  on  by  skilled  agents,  through  personal  investi- 
gation, and  with  due  regard  to  the  religious  faith  of  the  child. 
After  children  are  placed  in  homes,  adequate  visitation,  with 
careful  consideration  of  the  physical,  mental,  moral,  and  spir- 
itual training  and  development  of  each  child,  on  the  part  of 
the  responsible  home-finding  agency,  is  essential. 

"  It  is  recognized  that  for  many  children  foster  homes  with- 
out payment  for  board  are  not  practicable  immediately  after 
the  children  become  dependent,  and  that  for  children  requiring 
temporary  care  only,  the  free  home  is  not  available.  For  the 
temporary,  or  more  or  less  permanent,  care  of  such  children 
different  methods  are  in  use,  notably  the  plan  of  placing  them 
in  families;  paying  for  their  board;  and  the  plan  of  institu- 
tional care.  Contact  with  family  life  is  preferable  for  these 
children,  as  well  as  for  other  normal  children.  It  is  necessary, 
however,  that  a  large  number  of  carefully  selected  boarding 
homes  be  found,  if  these  children  are  to  be  cared  for  in  families. 
The  extent  to  which  such  families  can  be  found  should  be  ascer- 
tained by  careful  inquiry  and  experiment  in  each  locality. 
Unless  and  until  such  homes  are  found,  the  use  of  institutions 
is  necessary. 

"  So  far  as  it  may  be  found  necessary  to  temporarily  or  per- 
manently care  for  certain  classes  of  children  in  institutions, 
these  institutions  should  be  conducted  on  the  cottage  plan  as 
far  as  possible."  (See  p.  65  ff,  Wichern  and  the  Rauhe  Haus.) 

But  whether  it  be  the  institution  or  the  foster  home,  each 
must  be  the  best  of  its  kind.  In  each  all  those  influences 
must  be  at  work  that  make  for  character  and  efficiency, 
and  prepare  the  child  for  an  honorable  and  useful  life.  In 
both  the  persons  to  whose  care  the  child  is  committed  become 
the  most  potent  factor  in  shaping  its  future  career.  "  If 
the  placing-out  system  has  any  great  advantage  over  institu- 
tional care,  it  will  be  on  account  of  the  superior  personalities 
with  whom  the  child  comes  in  contact,  or  a  larger  share  in 
association  with  those  personalities  than  is  possible  in  the 
institution.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  institution  is  so  man- 
aged that  the  children  come  into  intimate  relations  with 
adult  characters  who  are  strong,  sympathetic,  intellectually 
alert,  and  socially,  morally,  and  spiritually  uplifting,  it 
ceases  to  be  a  mere  abiding  place  where  the  creature  comforts 
only  are  provided,  and  becomes  a  school  home  from  which 


150  FORMS  OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

the  children  go  forth  better  prepared  to  make  their  own  way 
in  the  world  than  are  most  of  those  set  adrift  from  their 
parental  homes  at  the  same  age."1 

III.  The  Training  and  Preservation  of  Young  People 

However  excellent  a  training  the  young  may  have  received 
during  their  childhood  years,  this  does  not  absolutely  guaran- 
tee their  safety  when  once  they  leave  home  or  institution 
behind,  and  for  the  first  time  face  the  world  as  it  is.  Then 
the  question  of  an  occupation  and  the  making  of  a  living 
presents  itself.  New  connections  and  associations  are 
formed.  Temptations  unknown  before  are  met.  Diffi- 
culties and  discouragements  must  be  overcome.  Life  in 
earnest  has  its  beginning,  for  which  much  is  still  needed  to 
make  one  strong  and  capable.  To  protect,  counsel,  and 
instruct  the  young  during  this  dangerous  formative  period, 
especially  so  amid  the  distractions  and  enticements  of  city 
and  town,  is  the  purpose  of  a  large  number  of  Inner  Mission 
agencies. 

a.  SCHOOLS  FOR  THE  TRAINING  OF  DOMESTICS 

In  his  explanation  of  the  Fourth  Petition  of  the  Lord's 
Prayer  Luther  includes  "  trustworthy  servants  "  among  the 
temporal  blessings  for  which  we  may  pray.  Such  servants 
the  schools  for  the  training  of  domestics  seek  to  supply. 
Their  object  is  clearly  set  forth  in  the  statutes  of  the  school 
at  Stuttgart,  which  declare:  "  The  purpose  of  this  institution 
is  the  training  of  competent  domestics  who  will  serve  their 
masters  according  to  the  flesh,  not  with  eye-service,  as  men- 
pleasers,  but  in  singleness  of  heart  and  in  the  fear  of  God." 

Various  causes  have  contributed  to  bring  about  the  so- 
called  "  servant  girl  problem,"  which  is  to-day  vexing 
Germany  as  much  as  America.  Among  these  are  the  arro- 
gance and  inconsiderateness  of  many  masters  and  mistresses; 
the  frequent  incompetency  of  girls  who  are  still  willing  to 

1  REEDER:  How  Two  Hundred  Children  Live  and  Learn,  p.  194. 


TRAINING  AND   PRESERVATION   OF  YOUNG   PEOPLE     151 

undertake  domestic  service;  the  mistaken  idea  of  others  that 
such  service  is  degrading;  the  desire  of  girls  to  have  all  even- 
ings free  for  the  pursuit  of  pleasure;  and  the  consequent  seek- 
ing .of  employment  in  factories  and  stores  where,  by  reason 
of  inadequate  wages,  improper  friendships,  and  subtle  tempta- 
tions, morality  and  virtue  often  receive  their  first  wrench. 
Moreover,  girls  whose  work  has  for  some  years  been  of  this 
kind  have  in  the  meantime  learned  little  or  nothing  of  house- 
hold duties,  nor  cared  to  do  so,  and  are,  as  a  rule,  as  dis- 
qualified to  become  housewives  and  mothers  and  to  conduct 
a  household  of  their  own  as  are  those  brought  up  in  the  idle- 
ness, pride,  and  luxury  bred  by  wealth. 

The  work  of  preparing  girls  for  domestic  service  by  giving 
them  systematic  training  in  a  special  institution,  received  its 
first  strong  impulse  from  Theodor  Fliedner  of  Kaiserswerth.' 
In  1854  he  established  his  "  Marthashof  "  in  Berlin,  which  was 
both  a  training-school  for  domestics  and  a  temporary  home 
for  girls  out  of  position  and  seeking  a  place  (p.  152).  To- 
day such  training-schools  to  the  number  of  thirty-eight  are 
found  in  all  the  leading  cities  of  Germany,  in  which  girls 
from  fourteen  to  eighteen  years  of  age,  who  have  already  been 
confirmed  and  bring  good  testimonials,  are  taught  all  kinds 
of  housework,  and  in  addition  receive  religious  and  other 
instruction.  The  girls  live  in  the  institution,  deaconesses 
are  generally  in  charge,  the  course  lasts  on  an  average  two 
years,  and  the  thirty-eight  schools  are  attended  by  over 
one  thousand  pupils.  In  most  of  them  a  small  monthly 
charge  is  made  for  board.  To  provide  a  sufficient  amount 
and  variety  of  work  it  is  often  desirable  to  establish  close 
relations  with  some  other  institutions,  e.  g.,  with  a  day 
nursery  or  Christian  kindergarten  to  learn  how  to  care  for 
children;  or  with  a  deaconess  house,  whose  kitchen,  laundry, 
sewing  room,  etc.,  offer  the  most  abundant  facilities  for 
acquiring  a  practical  knowledge  of  all  kinds  of  housework. 

Besides  the  above  there  are  scattered  throughout  Germany 
I631  other  schools  of  the  same  kind  for  day  scholars  only. 

1  Statistics  of  1899. 


152  FORMS   OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

These  are  attended  by  girls  whose  purpose  is  not  to  become 
domestics,  but  proficient  housekeepers. 

b.  SHELTERS  FOR  DOMESTICS 

Ninety  shelters  for  domestics  (Magdeherbergeri)  are  found 
in  the  leading  cities  of  Germany  whose  object  it  is  to  afford 
a  safe  temporary  home  to  servants  out  of  employment, 
and  to  girls  who  come  from  the  country  to  the  city  to  find 
work.  Only  those  who  have  opportunity  to  learn  something 
of  the  satanic  means  employed  to  entrap  such  unprotected 
and  inexperienced  girls  can  fully  realize  to  what  dangers  they 
are  exposed.  Statistics  kept  in  Berlin  for  a  period  of  four 
years  show  that  very  few  of  the  girls  who  had  been  directed 
to  the  shelter  were  subsequently  found  in  the  Charite  Hospital 
as  fallen  and  diseased  women;  whereas  a  startlingly  large 
number  not  thus  directed  had  become  charges  of  the  hospital. 

The  first  such  shelter  was  opened  in  Paris  in  1847.  In  1854 
Fliedner  began  his  "  Marthashof  "  in  Berlin,  which,  as  before 
stated,  was  to  serve  the  double  purpose  of  a  training-school 
for  domestics  and  a  temporary  home  for  unemployed  girls. 
Of  the  ninety  shelters  in  Germany,  thirty-four  are  combined 
with  training-schools,  and  thirty-seven  with  hospices;  and 
nearly  all  of  them  make  it  their  business  to  obtain  good 
situations  for  girls.  Wholesome  reading  matter,  inter- 
course with  those  in  charge — usually  deaconesses — and  daily 
prayers  serve  as  moral  and  spiritual  influences. 

The  Madchenheime,  of  which  there  are  quite  a  number, 
as  distinguished  from  the  Mdgdeherbergen,  have  a  somewhat 
different  purpose  in  view.  Some  of  these  are  designed  to  be 
permanent  Christian  homes  for  business  women,  teachers, 
art  students,  etc. ;  others  are  for  the  transient  accommodation 
of  women.  In  the  main  these  correspond  to  the  boarding 
homes  maintained  by  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Asso- 
ciations and  other  bodies  in  many  American  cities. 

For  factory  girls  homes  of  still  another  kind  (Fabrikarbeiter- 
innenherbergen)  are  provided.  Perhaps  no  class  of  girls  away 


TRAINING  AND   PRESERVATION   OF   YOUNG   PEOPLE     153 

from  their  own  home  are  more  in  need  of  protection  than 
these.  In  their  place  of  work  they  are  often  brought  into 
contact  with  men  and  women  of  loose  morals;  and  in  the  cheap 
boarding-houses,  to  which  inadequate  wages  condemn  them, 
the  conditions  are  generally  not  much  better.  Finding  no 
attractive  features  in  these  as  a  relief  from  the  incessant 
grind  of  daily  toil,  and  to  break  the  dreary  monotony  of 
existence  amid  such  surroundings,  the  street,  the  cheap 
theater,  and  the  dance  hall  are  too  often  sought  at  night,  and 
all  those  dangers  are  encountered  that  have  in  numberless 
cases  brought  ruin  and  shame.  Hence  the  homes  for  girls 
who  work  in  factories,  in  which,  at  very  moderate  rates,  they 
find  good  board,  agreeable  and  wholesome  surroundings, 
instruction  in  housekeeping  for  those  who  desire  it,  and,  above 
all,  the  atmosphere  of  the  Christian  family. 

The  first  home  of  this  kind  was  established  by  Karl 
Mez,  in  Freiburg,  Baden,  in  1845  (p.  75),  to  be  followed  by 
many  others  since  then.  Some  are  intended  only  for  the 
operatives  in  a  particular  establishment;  others  are  general 
and  take  girls  of  good  character  from  any  factory.  In  1899 
there  were  thirty-five  such  homes  in  Germany. 

c.  YOUNG  MEN'S  SOCIETIES 

Young  men's  societies,  having  for  their  specific  purpose  the 
promotion  of  the  mental,  spiritual,  and  social  welfare  of  their 
members,  and  thus  to  train  them  for  intelligent  and  active 
participation  in  the  work  of  the  Church,  had  their  origin 
in  Germany,  and  trace  their  beginnings  to  the  third  decade 
of  the  last  century  (Bremen  1834,  Barmen  1836,  Elberfeld 
1838).  In  1848  nine  local  societies  joined  in  forming  the 
Rhenish- Westphalian  Young  Men's  Union.  Since  then  nine 
similar  unions  have  been  organized  in  the  different  provinces, 
composed  in  1908  of  1963  local  societies,  having  a  combined 
membership  of  114,825.  In  1896  the  provincial  unions 
effected  a  National  Union. 

The  great  majority  of  German  young  men's  societies  are 


154  FORMS   OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

conducted  by  pastors,  in  closest  affiliation  with  the  Church. 
To  develop  and  strengthen  the  spiritual  life  of  the  members 
hours  for  the  study  and  explanation  of  the  Scriptures  are 
arranged.  To  promote  general  culture  instructive  lectures 
and  discussions  on  a  great  variety  of  subjects  are  held,  good 
libraries  and  periodicals  are  provided,  and  music  is  given  much 
attention.1  For  physical  training  many  of  the  societies  have 
their  gymnasia.  Special  encouragement  is  given  the  mem- 
bers to  engage  in  some  form  of  Christian  service,  such  as  the 
Sunday  school,  the  distribution  of  tracts,  sermons,  and  other 
Christian  literature,  the  visitation  of  the  sick,  and  in  the 
larger  cities  the  hunting  up  of  young  men  who  are  still 
strangers  and  need  some  one's  friendly  interest.  In  laying 
large  stress  on  fidelity  to  the  Church  in  faith  and  works  the 
young  people's  societies  of  Germany,  both  male  and  female, 
perhaps  find  their  closest  analogue  in  the  strictly  denomina- 
tional societies  of  American  churches. 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  of  the  Anglo- 
American  type  was  introduced  into  Germany  in  1883.  From 
Berlin,  where  the  first  organization  was  effected,  it  has  spread 
to  a  number  of  other  large  cities.  A  layman  instead  of  a 
pastor  is  the  head  of  a  local  association;  and,  as  in  England 
and  America,  the  membership  is  divided  into  active  and 
associate;  whereas  to  the  other  young  men's  societies  of 
Germany  only  confirmed  members  of  the  Church  are  eligible. 
The  interdenominational  character  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  the  indifference  with  which  it  treats 
doctrinal  distinctions,  and  its  frequently  somewhat  negative 
attitude  towards  the  Church  as  the  only  repository  of  the 
means  of  grace,  hardly  commend  it  to  universal  favor  in 
Germany  and  the  Scandinavian  countries.  There,  as 
among  us,  it  is  often  found  that  those  who  become  most 
active  in  the  Association  lose  much  of  their  interest  in  the 
congregation  and  church  to  which  they  belong. 

xThus  in  1007  there  were  in  the  various  societies  10,621  members  who 
belonged  to  their  trombone  choirs,  and  13,856  who  sang  in  their  male  choruses. 


TRAINING  AND  PRESERVATION  OF  YOUNG  PEOPLE      155 

d.  YOUNG  WOMEN'S  SOCIETIES 

The  young  women's  societies,  of  which  there  were  in  1909 
over  4000,  with  100,000  members,  are  designed  to  do  for 
young  women  what  the  young  men's  societies  are  to  do  for 
young  men.  Fully  two-thirds  of  them  have  been  organized 
and  are  guided  by  pastors  and  deaconesses.  At  the  meet- 
ings, held  weekly,  fortnightly,  and,  in  some  instances,  several 
times  a  week,  Bible  study,  prayer,  and  song  again  occupy  a 
chief  place,  while  subjects  of  a  generally  instructive  character 
are  not  neglected.  Inner  and  foreign  missions  claim  much 
attention,  and  the  interest  thus  awakened  leads  some  of  the 
young  women  to  become  deaconesses,  and  others  to  offer 
their  services  for  work  among  children,  the  sick,  and  the  poor. 
Special  evenings  are  also  set  apart  for  the  entertainment  and 
instruction  of  factory  and  store  girls;  and  courses  of  instruc- 
tion in  Christian  work  are  offered  to  girls  from  the  higher 
ranks  of  society. 

A  service  of  vast  importance,  growing  out  of  the  work  with 
and  for  young  women,  is  the  Bahnhofsmission  (d£p6t  mis- 
sion), inaugurated  in  Berlin  in  1894,  and  now  extending  to 
all  the  principal  cities  of  Germany.  The  specific  purpose 
of  this  is  to  guard  girls  and  young  women  who  leave  their 
country  home  to  seek  work  in  the  city  against  the  snares  so 
often  set  for  them.  Before  they  start  they  are  hi  various 
ways  instructed  and  warned  concerning  these;  on  the  way, 
at  leading  railroad  stations,  they  may  find  literature  and 
further  directions  placed  in  their  hands;  and  on  their  arrival 
some  one  to  meet  them  and  give  them  the  necessary  protection 
until  safely  housed.  The  name  and  street  number  of  such 
new-comers  is  kept,  so  that  they  may  subsequently  be  visited 
and  counselled,  directed  to  the  nearest  church,  invited  to  the 
meetings  of  the  society,  and  thus  made  to  feel  that  though 
away  from  home  some  one  takes  a  friendly  interest  in  them. 

Since  1892  the  various  young  women's  societies  have  been 
brought  into  closer  union  through  the  efforts  of  Pastor 
Burkhardt  of  Berlin. 


156  FORMS  OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

Considerable  work  of  the  kind  mentioned  under  sections 
a,  b,  and  d  is  done  in  America  by  the  Young  Women's 
Christian  Associations  and  kindred  organizations. 


IV.   The  Protection  of  the  Imperiled 

Modern  industrial  conditions  and  the  facilities  for  quick 
and  cheap  transportation  serve  in  these  days  to  attract 
thousands  from  their  homes  and  country  in  search  of  em- 
ployment and  in  the  hope  of  improving  their  temporal 
estate.  But  this  separation  from  the  sacred  influences  of 
home  and  church  into  new  surroundings  has  its  moral  dan- 
gers; and  not  infrequently  the  change  leads  to  complete 
spiritual  shipwreck.  To  neutralize  these  dangers  as  far  as 
possible  it  becomes  necessary  to  put  into  operation  such 
agencies  as  are  best  adapted  to  each  class  whom  it  is  designed 
to  benefit. 

a.  DIASPORA  MISSIONS 

In  the  New  Testament  the  Greek  term  diaffitopd  (John 
7  : 35;  James  i :  i ;  i  Peter  i :  i)  stands  for  "The  Dispersion," 
and  is  used  to  designate  that  portion  of  the  Jews  "  scattered 
abroad "  in  heathen  countries  beyond  Palestine.  By 
"  diaspora  missions  "  we  to-day  mean  the  work  done  by  the 
Protestant  Church  of  Germany  in  providing  for  the  spiritual 
wants  of  those  of  its  members  who  have  gone  to  other  lands, 
and  who,  by  reason  of  their  surroundings,  are  deprived  of 
the  means  of  grace  in  their  own  faith  and  language. 

To  aid  Protestant  families  and  congregations  in  Roman 
Catholic  countries  the  Gustav-Adolf  Society  was  formed. 
The  idea  of  such  a  society  was  first  conceived  by  Dr.  C.  G. 
L.  Grossmann  of  Leipzig,  and  found  expression  when  the 
second  centennial  of  the  death  of  the  Swedish  hero  was 
celebrated  at  Liitzen,  November  6,  1832.  The  society  was 
to  be  a  living  monument  to  the  great  deliverer  of  Protestant- 
ism, designed  for  the  benefit  of  those  for  whom  he  died.  Its 
success  was  at  first  insignificant.  But  in  1841,  in  response 


PROTECTION  OF   THE  IMPERILED  157 

to  an  appeal  by  Court-preacher  Zimmermann,  of  Darmstadt, 
it  began  to  grow  rapidly.  In  1907  it  comprised  forty-five 
minor  associations,  2035  local,  and  696  women's  branches. 
Its  receipts  during  the  same  year  were  2,017,525  marks,  and 
its  expenditures  1,780,999  marks.  Its  assets  to-day  amount 
to  fully  5,000,000  marks.  Since  its  foundation  it  has  spent 
almost  50,000,000  marks  in  its  work;  and  until  the  close  of 
the  year  1907  had  assisted  5790  congregations,  built  2482 
churches  and  chapels,  903  schoolhouses,  and  939  parsonages, 
established  120  cemeteries,  aided  numerous  benevolent  in- 
stitutions, and  in  many  cases  paid  the  salaries  of  pastors  and 
teachers. 

As  the  Gustav-Adolf  Society  is  unionistic,  having  as  its 
main  bond  not  a  confessional  basis,  but  the  negation  of 
Romanism,  and  aiding  Lutheran  and  Reformed  alike,  a  distinc- 
tively Lutheran  society  was  organized  in  1853  known  as  the 
Gotteskasten.  This  confines  its  work  exclusively  to  the 
Lutheran  Diaspora,  not  only  among  Roman  Catholics  but 
also  among  other  non-Lutherans,  and  lays  chief  stress  not  on 
the  building  of  churches,  parsonages,  schoolhouses,  etc.,  but 
on  establishing  Lutheran  preaching  stations  and  supplying 
these  with  pastors  and  teachers.  Its  income  in  1907  was 
112,877  marks. 

b.  EMIGRANT  MISSIONS 

In  exchanging  his  native  land  for  another  the  emigrant 
enters  upon  a  course  that  may  prove  disastrous  to  him  in  more 
ways  than  one.  He  leaves  friends  and  associations  behind. 
He  breaks  the  ties  that  bind  him  to  country,  home,  and 
church.  He  comes  into  a  new  and  different  environment, 
to  which  he  often  finds  it  difficult  to  adapt  himself,  and  in 
which  he  for  a  long  while  remains  a  comparative  stranger. 
And  not  infrequently,  even  before  he  starts,  and  still  more  so 
when  he  lands,  he  is  victimized  by  sharpers,  who,  taking 
advantage  of  his  ignorance  and  credulity,  get  away  with  his 
money.  Hence  the  need  of  giving  him  advice  and  protec- 
tion. 


158  FORMS   OF   INNER  MISSION   ACTIVITY 

The  beginning  of  this  is  often  made  weeks  before  his  de- 
parture. At  this  stage  it  is  the  pastor  who  usually  renders 
the  chief  assistance.  He  communicates  with  the  emigration 
authorities,  frequently  makes  the  arrangements  for  passage, 
and  places  into  the  hands  of  those  going  such  literature  as 
will  serve  to  give  them  the  needed  counsel.  On  the  last 
Sunday  in  the  home  land,  and  when  they  are  for  the  last  time 
assembled  with  their  congregation,  special  prayers  are  offered 
for  them.  In  many  places,  indeed,  a  special  farewell  service  is 
held,  at  which  the  Holy  Communion  is  administered;  and 
at  Eppe,  in  Waldeck,  the  beautiful  custom  prevails  of  having 
each  one  of  those  who  are  about  to  depart  come  to  the  altar, 
there  by  prayer  and  the  laying  on  of  hands  to  be  committed 
to  God's  loving  care. 

At  the  port  of  departure  the  emigrants  are  taken  in  charge 
by  the  missionary  and  his  assistants.  Here  every  protec- 
tion is  afforded,  additional  warnings  are  given,  money  is 
exchanged,  and  baggage  transfered.  Bibles,  prayer  books, 
and  other  reading  are  distributed,  services  are  held,  the  Holy 
Communion  is  administered  to  those  who  desire  it,  and,  last 
of  all,  cards  are  supplied  by  which  the  missionary  at  the  port 
of  landing  may  identify  the  new-comers;  and  when  they 
already  know  their  destination,  as  is  often  the  case,  they  are 
also  given  a  letter  of  introduction  to  the  pastor  of  the  place. 

The  principal  German  Emigrant  Missions  are  found  in 
Hamburg  (1875)  and  Bremen  (1881).  For  the  reception  and 
care  of  the  incoming  thousands  Lutheran  Emigrant  Houses 
are  maintained  in  New  York,  Boston,  and  Baltimore. 

c.  SEAMEN'S  MISSIONS 

Great  as  are  the  dangers  to  which  the  seaman  is  exposed 
on  the  water,  greater  dangers  await  him  on  land.  In  the 
one  case  they  threaten  chiefly  the  body,  in  the  other  body  and 
soul.  Almost  as  soon  as  he  sets  his  foot  on  shore  he  is  under 
the  lure  of  the  saloon,  the  brothel,  and  the  conscienceless 
lodging-house  keeper,  whose  only  object  is  to  relieve  him  of 


PROTECTION  OF  THE  IMPERILED         159 

his  money  as  quickly  as  possible;  nor  does  he,  as  a  rule,  hesi- 
tate long,  after  the  weeks — perhaps  months — of  privation  he 
has  endured,  to  plunge  headlong  into  the  wildest  excesses. 

The  first  efforts  in  behalf  of  seamen  were  made  in  England. 
As  early  as  1780  a  society  was  organized  in  London  to  supply 
English  troops  in  Hyde  Park  and  seamen  in  the  English  navy 
with  copies  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  In  1814  the  real  pioneer 
of  the  movement,  George  Charles  Smith,  a  converted  sailor, 
and  afterwards  a  dissenting  minister,  established  prayer- 
meetings  for  seamen  on  the  Thames  at  London.  To-day, 
besides  the  local  societies  which  limit  the  prosecution  of  work 
to  their  own  ports,  the  British  and  Foreign  Sailors'  Society 
(1833)  and  the  London  Missions  to  Seamen  (1856)  support 
chaplains  and  missionaries  at  numerous  English  and  foreign 
ports,  the  London  society  also  carrying  on  many  operations 
afloat  in  so-called  bethels  or  floating  chapels. 

In  the  United  States  the  first  society  for  work  among  sea- 
men was  organized  at  Boston  in  1812,  but  had  only  a  brief 
existence.  In  1817  the  Marine  Bible  Society  of  New  York 
was  formed,  followed  in  1818  by  the  society  now  known 
as  the  New  York  Port  Society.  Similar  associations  for 
local  work  came  into  existence  at  Charleston,  S.  C.  (1819); 
Philadelphia,  Pa.  (1819);  Portland,  Me.,  and  New  Orleans, 
La.  (1823);  New  Bedford,  Mass.  (1825),  and  elsewhere. 
In  1828  the  American  Seamen's  Friend  Society  was  organ- 
ized in  New  York  to  secure  the  moral  and  physical  as  well 
as  the  spiritual  well-being  of  the  sailors  by  "  promoting  in 
every  port  boarding-houses  of  good  character,  savings- 
banks,  register-offices,  libraries,  museums,  reading-rooms, 
and  schools,  and  also  the  ministrations  of  the  Gospel  and 
other  religious  blessings."  The  work  of  this  society  is  to-day 
world-wide  and  most  efficient.  In  many  American  ports 
local  societies  are  also  active. 

The  Scandinavian  countries,  which  furnish  so  large  a  pro- 
portion of  the  world's  sailors,  were  the  second  in  point  of  time 
to  interest  themselves  in  the  welfare  of  seamen.  The 
Fatherland  Society  of  Sweden  (1869),  and  the  Norwegian 


160  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

(1864),  Danish,  and  Finnish  (1880)  Societies  have  stations 
in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  do  an  extended  and  beneficient 
work. 

In  his  Denkschrift  Wichern  already  spoke  of  the  great  need 
of  such  work  among  German  seamen,  and  called  attention 
to  what  was  being  done  in  England  and  America,  but  only 
after  the  lapse  of  three  and  a  half  decades  was  it  energetically 
taken  in  hand.  Then,  in  1885,  the  General  Seamen's  Mis- 
sion Committee  for  Great  Britain  was  organized,  to  care  for 
German  seamen  in  English  ports.  About  the  same  time  the 
German  Lutheran  Seemannsfursorge-Verband  at  Hanover 
came  into  existence.  And  in  1895  a  third  organization, 
known  as  the  Komitee  fur  deutsch-evangelische  Seemanns- 
mission,  was  brought  into  being  by  the  Central  Inner  Mission 
Committee  at  Berlin.  According  to  the  statistics  of  1909 
these  committees  then  maintained  missionaries,  reading- 
rooms,  etc.,  in  175  ports  for  the  benefit  of  German  seamen. 

In  the  United  States  Lutheran  Seamen's  Missions  are 
located  in  Hoboken,  Brooklyn,  Philadelphia,  Boston,  and 
San  Francisco. 

Against  the  manifold  temptations  which  beset  the  seamen 
on  shore,  and  the  extortionate  practices  of  the  sharks  who 
offer  their  services  as  employment  agents,  the  best  protec- 
tion is  a  seamen's  home,  with  its  lodging,  dining,  reading, 
writing,  and  recreation  rooms,  its  well-stocked  library,  and 
its  affiliated  savings-bank  and  employment  bureau.  Here 
the  missionary  should  also  have  his  headquarters  and  do 
much  of  his  pastoral  work.  Here  or  in  its  neighborhood 
should  be  found  a  chapel  to  which  he  invites  the  sailors  on 
his  visits  to  vessels  and  whenever  he  has  the  opportunity; 
those  who  are  in  hospitals  or,  perhaps,  in  prison  will  likewise 
claim  his  attention;  Bibles,  tracts,  and  other  Christian 
literature  will  be  freely  distributed  by  him  and  his  helpers; 
and  thus  in  every  way  the  spiritual,  moral,  and  even  physical 
well-being  of  those  who  come  under  his  care  is  safe-guarded 
as  far  as  possible. 


IMMIGRANT  HOUSE,  No.  4  STATE  STREET,  Nr.w  YORK  CITY. 


SEAMEN'S  HOME,  PHILADELPHIA         SEAMEN'S  HOME,  HOBOKEN,  N.  J. 


PROTECTION  OF  THE  IMPERILED         l6l 

d.  CHRISTIAN  INNS  FOR  MEN 

A  unique  institution  of  the  German  Inner  Mission  is  the 
Herberge  zur  Heimath,  or  Christian  Inn.  Not  many  years 
ago  the  German  youth  who  had  served  his  apprenticeship 
was  still  required  to  spend  a  few  years  (Wanderjahre)  in 
traveling  on  foot  from  place  to  place,  working  now  here,  now 
there,  to  learn  different  methods  and  to  perfect  himself  in 
his  chosen  trade.  With  slender  means  at  his  command,  and 
away  from  home,  he  was  too  often  obliged  to  find  shelter  and 
entertainment  at  the  cheapest  taverns,  where  he  came  under 
the  most  demoralizing  influences.  In  1844  Wichern  had 
already  said:  "  Whoever  lets  his  son  go  into  distant  parts  as 
a  traveling  artisan  sends  him  into  a  desert  in  which  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  wander  about  without  any  support  for 
their  inner  spiritual  life,  and  whose  hundreds  of  corrupting 
dens  the  young  man  is  compelled  to  enter.  The  ordinary 
inns  for  journeymen  mechanics  have  been  the  ruin  of  hundreds 
and  thousands  of  young  artisans  whose  home  training  was  of 
the  best." 

To  guard  such  young  men  on  their  travels  against  evil 
associations  by  providing  a  substitute  for  the  Christian  home 
the  so-called  Herbergen  zur  Heimath,  or  Christian  Inns,  were 
established.  Their  originator  was  Professor  Clemens  Theo- 
dor  Perthes  (1809-1867),  of  Bonn,  at  whose  instigation  the 
Inner  Mission  Society  of  said  city  opened  the  first  institu- 
tion of  this  kind  on  the  2istof  May,  1854,  and  placed  a  brother 
from  the  Rauhe  Haus  in  charge.  Though  greatly  altered 
industrial  conditions  have  almost  brought  about  the  ex- 
tinction of  the  old-time  traveling  mechanic,  the  Christian 
Inns  continue  to  serve  a  most  useful  purpose,  either  as  a 
transient  stopping-place  for  men  seeking  employment  or  as  a 
permanent  abode  for  those  whose  small  earnings  compel 
them  to  live  in  the  most  modest  style.  This  is  apparent 
from  the  fact  that  very  considerably  more  than  half  the 
present  number  of  Herbergen  have  been  established  since  1883, 
or,  in  other  words,  thirty  years  after  the  opening  of  the  first 


1 62  FORMS   OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

one  there  were  only  161  as  compared  with  452  in  1907,  with 
over  19,000  beds.  In  1883  the  Berber gs-Verband  was  formed, 
with  Dr.  von  Bodelschwingh  as  president,  to  whose  initiative 
and  energetic  labors  the  extraordinary  development  of  this 
cause  since  then  must  be  chiefly  attributed.  The  official 
organ  of  the  Verband  is  Der  Wanderer. 

The  Herberge  is  neither  a  charity  nor  a  money-making 
institution,  but  a  Christian  protective  agency.  Those  who 
avail  themselves  of  its  hospitality  pay  for  what  they  get, 
but  at  the  lowest  possible  rates.  The  means  for  establishing 
a  Herberge  are  gathered  by  the  local  association  responsible 
for  its  management.  In  most  instances  the  housefather  is  a 
trained  brother,  and  his  wife  the  housemother.  In  every 
case  the  housefather  receives  a  fixed  salary  and  free  living,  so 
as  to  remove  every  temptation  to  make  a  profit  for  himself. 
Morning  and  evening  prayers  are  held,  and  though  attendance 
is  optional,  many  avail  themselves  of  the  privilege,  and  are 
thus  benefited  spiritually.  In  its  appointments  the  house  is 
made  as  attractive  and  comfortable  as  the  means  will  allow, 
is  kept  scrupulously  clean,  and  is  open  to  any  respectable 
artisan,  regardless  of  creed.  The  evenings  are  spent  socially, 
but  card-playing  is  not  allowed  nor  is  strong  drink  sold. 
Most  Herbergen  also  have  intelligence  bureaus  to  aid  men 
in  procuring  employment;  and  a  considerable  number  are 
open  to  men  in  employment,  not  only  as  a  permanent  home 
for  such  as  desire  it,  but  also  as  a  place  where  the  young 
mechanics  of  the  neighborhood  can  gather  in  the  evening 
and  on  Sunday,  to  read  and  write,  and  to  enjoy  pleasant 
companionship  without  the  usual  temptations  of  the  average 
public  house.  Of  considerable  importance  and  practical 
value  is  the  savings-bank  system  connected  with  the 
Herbergen,  which  enables  men  readily  to  deposit  their  earnings 
for  safe-keeping  and  exchange. 

The  number  of  guests  entertained  in  the  Herbergen  during 
1907  was  2,070,078. 


PROTECTION   OF   THE   IMPERILED  163 

e.  HOSPICES 

For  travelers,  including  women,  who  desire  better  accom- 
modations and  can  pay  higher  rates,  hospices  are  connected 
with  a  large  number  of  Herbergen,  but  in  all  their  arrange- 
ments strictly  separated  from  these.  Altogether  separate 
hospices  to  the  number  of  forty-nine  are  found  in  German 
cities.  These  are,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  well-ap- 
pointed hotels,  conducted  in  a  first-class  manner  so  far  as 
creature  comforts  are  concerned,  but  having  the  following 
distinguishing  features:  i,  Morning  and  evening  prayers; 
2,  adaptation  of  rooms,  entertainment,  and  other  accom- 
modations to  the  demands  of  the  classes  for  which  the 
house  is  intended;  3,  moderate  charges  calculated  on  the 
basis  of  the  cost  of  living  in  a  given  neighborhood;  4,  con- 
scientious insistence  on  absolute  cleanliness;  5>  in  lieu  of 
fees  or  tips  (except  for  special  services)  an  adequate  addi- 
tion to  the  regular  bill  (usually  loper  cent.).  The  Verband 
christlicher  Hospize  in  1908  comprised  besides  the  49  in 
Germany,  3  in  Switzerland,  2  in  Italy,  and  i  in  Norway, 
besides  6  rest  houses  (Erholungsh'duser)  in  Germany.  Like 
numerous  Herbergen,  many  of  the  hospices  also  serve  as 
Vereinshduser,  i.  e.,  as  headquarters  of  Inner  Mission 
societies. 

The  hospice  idea  has  been  transplanted  to  America,  but 
to  meet  somewhat  different  needs,  and  therefore  in  a  some- 
what different  form.  Here  the  several  institutions  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  passing  under  this  name  are  meant  to  be 
chiefly  permanent  Christian  homes  for  young  men  or  women 
who  come  to  the  larger  cities  either  to  study  or  to  engage  in 
some  occupation.  Perhaps  for  the  first  time  removed  from  the 
wholesome  atmosphere  of  the  Christian  family  and  brought 
into  contact  with  the  numerous  demoralizing  influences  of  a 
large  city  no  one  needs  the  nurture  and  protection  of  such  a 
home  more  than  these.  Left  without  friendly  advisers, 
exposed  to  many  temptations,  and  often  compelled  by  lack 
of  meahs  to  find  quarters  in  a  cheap  boarding-house  located 


164  FORMS  OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

perhaps  in  a  vile  neighborhood,  it  need  not  be  a  matter  of 
surprise  that  many  are  quickly  caught  in  the  current  that 
sweeps  them  away  from  the  Church  and  everything  spiritual, 
and  are  carried  to  ruin  in  body  and  soul.  Against  this  de- 
structive current,  which  only  those  of  mature  character  suc- 
cessfully resist,  the  hospice  seeks  to  erect  a  barrier  in  its  en- 
deavor to  actualize  as  nearly  as  possible  the  life  of  the  Chris- 
tian household.  A  Christian  housefather  or  housemother 
(pastor  or  deaconess)  is  placed  at  the  head,  daily  prayers  are 
held,  a  personal  interest  is  taken  in  each  inmate,  friendly 
counsel  is  given,  regular  church  going  is  encouraged,  and  thus 
the  hospice  becomes  a  conservator  of  character  and  of  the 
spiritual  life.  In  laying  large  stress  on  these  features,  whilst 
offering  at  the  same  time  all  the  comforts  and  refinements 
of  a  well-conducted  home,  the  Lutheran  hospices  in  America 
differ  from  somewhat  similar  institutions  for  women  found  in 
leading  cities,  which  often  are  little  else  than  very  respectable 
boarding-houses. 

The  Luther  Hospice  for  Young  Men,  at  No.  157  N.  Twen- 
tieth Street,  Philadelphia,  opened  by  the  Inner  Mission 
Society  of  said  city  September  i,  1905,  was  the  first  Lutheran 
hospice  in  America.  Since  then  hospices  have  been  estab- 
lished in  Minneapolis,  St.  Louis,  and  Chicago. 

f.  SOME  OTHER  FORMS  OF  PROTECTIVE  WORK 

i.  Kellner-Mission,  or  Mission  among  Waiters.  "  The 
vocation  of  a  waiter,"  says  Hennig,  "  is  a  vocation  without  a 
Sunday,  without  evening  leisure,  without  the  pleasant  asso- 
ciations of  family  life,  and  generally  without  a  settled  home. 
What  a  menace  the  constant  confinement  in  a  vitiated  at- 
mosphere is  to  the  body!  And  how  the  soul  is  endangered 
by  association  with  people  whose  only  object  is  pleasure,  and 
by  the  wretched  tipping  system!" 

In  1880  the  City  Missions  of  Berlin,  Hamburg,  and  other 
cities,  together  with  various  young  men's  societies,  began 
work  among  this  class  of  employes  by  serving  them  with 


LUTHER  HOSPICE,  PHILADELPHIA 


HOSPICE,  FRANKFORT-ON-THE- 
MAIN 


HOSPICE,  DRESDEN 


HOSPICE  FOR  YOUNG  WOMEN,  MINNEAPOLIS,  MINN. 


PROTECTION   OF   THE   IMPERILED  165 

Christian  literature  and  arranging  night  meetings  for  relig- 
ious purposes;  but  no  great  progress  was  made  until  the 
establishment  of  the  Kellnerheime  in  London  and  Frankfort- 
on-the-Main,  in  1892  and  1898  respectively,  and  the  founding 
of  Der  Kellnerfreund  as  the  organ  of  the  Committee  for  the 
Promotion  of  Christian  Life  among  Waiters,  now  the  Inter- 
national Society  of  Hotel  Waiters.  In  addition  to  the  two 
mentioned  above,  Kellnerheime  are  now  found  in  Cannes, 
Diisseldorf,  Berlin,  Breslau,  Hamburg,  Geneva,  Paris, 
Leipzig,  Cologne,  and  New  York.  Among  the  features 
of  these  homes  are  the  following:  Agreeable  entertainment  at 
moderate  prices  for  those  out  of  employment  or  on  a  vacation ; 
counsel  and  information;  rooms  for  reading  and  writing; 
library;  opportunities  for  music;  lecture  courses;  facilities 
for  obtaining  positions  and  depositing  savings;  daily  devo- 
tions and  stated  gatherings  for  religious  purposes;  all  the 
advantages  of  a  Christian  home.  The  person  in  charge 
usually  reads  the  lessons  and  prayers  for  the  day,  together 
with  a  sermonette,  from  a  volume  especially  prepared  for 
this  purpose,  but  attendance  at  such  services  is  purely 
voluntary  and  religion  is  obtruded  upon  no  one.  In  the 
smaller  cities  in  which  there  are  no  Heime,  more  or  less  in- 
terest is  beginning  to  be  taken  in  waiters  by  pastors  and  city 
missionaries. 

2.  The  Fluss-schiffer-Mission,  or  Mission  among  Rivermen, 
labors  among  the  150,000  Protestants  who  navigate  the 
streams  of  Germany.  For  a  large  part  of  the  year  these  have 
their  "  home  " — often  with  wife  and  children — on  the  water, 
and  are  now  here,  now  there.  Subject  to  constant  change, 
and  practically  without  a  Sunday,  they  have  few  oppor- 
tunities for  spiritual  improvement,  whilst  at  the  same  time 
encountering  many  moral  dangers.  To  provide  the  former 
and  guard  against  the  latter  is  the  purpose  of  the  Fluss- 
schiffer-Mission.  It  does  so  by  distributing  large  quantities 
of  Christian  literature,  arranging  for  services  on  vessels  and 
in  other  places,  and  in  caring  for  the  religious  instruction 
and  training  of  the  thousands  of  children  who  are  obliged  to 


1 66  FORMS  OF    INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

accompany  their  parents.  Thus  an  association  in  Berlin 
has  had  built  and  maintains  a  large  boat  containing  a  chapel, 
in  which  regular  sevices  are  held,  and  baptisms,  communions, 
marriages,  and  confirmations  take  place.  Two  deacons  are 
employed  to  visit  boats  and  render  helpful  service  to  the 
crews.  A  boatmen's  home  has  been  established,  and  a 
boatmen's  association  organized.  Two  children's  refuges 
annually  care  for  upwards  of  5000  rivermen's  children,  who 
on  Sundays  attend  service  in  the  above-mentioned  floating 
chapel.  Since  1907  a  home  for  rivermen's  children  has 
been  in  operation  at  Teltow,  in  charge  of  a  deacon  from  the 
Rauhe  Haus;  at  Ruhrort,  Hamburg,  Magdeburg,  Konigs- 
berg,  Memel,  and  Neufahrwasser  rivermen's  homes  are 
found;  Saxony  and  Silesia  support  special  pastors  for  the 
work;  and  at  several  scores  of  places  pastors  and  laymen 
render  volunteer  service. 

3.  Other  classes  for  whose  spiritual  care  special  provision 
is  made  are  the  Hollands  ganger,  the  Sachsenganger,  and  the 
laborers  on  canals  and  railroads.  For  more  than  two  hundred 
years  large  numbers  of  men  have  every  summer  gone  from 
northwestern  Germany  to  Holland  to  work  as  peat  cutters, 
grass  mowers,  tile  makers,  and  stucco  workers;  while  more 
than  50,000  men  and  women,  mostly  under  thirty  years  of 
age,  every  season  leave  their  homes  in  eastern  Germany  to 
find  employment  as  farm  hands  in  Saxony  and  other  parts  of 
middle  Germany.  This  separation  from  home,  church,  and 
family  for  half  a  year  or  more  often  brings  with  it  a  train  of 
evil  consequences — partial  dissolution  of  family  ties,  dimin- 
ished respect  for  parental  authority,  abuse  of  one's  freedom 
from  restraint,  contraction  of  evil  habits,  gradual  alienation 
from  the  Church  and  things  spiritual,  and  frequently  quite 
unconscious  absorption  of  socialistic  and  anti-christian  views 
and  principles.  Similar  and  perhaps  still  greater  dangers 
threaten  those  engaged  in  the  construction  of  new  railroads 
and  canals,  brought  into  contact  as  they  often  are  with  the 
very  worst  elements  of  widely  different  nationalities. 

As  the  needs  of  all  these  classes  are  essentially  the  same, 


SAVING   OF  THE  LOST  167 

the  methods  for  relieving  them  are  in  each  case  almost 
identical.  Whenever  practicable  those  going  away  for  a 
season  are  for  the  time  being  committed  to  the  care  and 
oversight  of  the  pastors  into  whose  parish  they  come;  while 
in  other  cases  itinerant  preachers  and  colporteurs  are  em- 
ployed— especially  so  among  the  workmen  on  canals  and 
railroads.  In  not  a  few  instances  special  services  mark  the 
departure  and  return  of  these  sojourners. 

V.  The  Saving  of  the  Lost 

On  the  principle  that  prevention  is  better  than  cure,  and 
with  a  view  to  their  elimination  as  far  as  possible,  the  causes 
which  lead  to  delinquency  have  in  recent  years  been  much 
more  carefully  studied  than  formerly.  Nevertheless,  how- 
ever many  preventive  agencies  may  be  set  in  motion,  and 
however  much  good  these  may  accomplish,  there  will  always 
be  some  who  are  either  unfortunate  enough  not  to  come  under 
their  influence,  or  who,  if  they  do,  fail  to  be  benefited  by 
them.  For  these  still  further  provision  must  be  made  in 
order  to  save  them,  if  possible,  and  thus  prevent  them  from 
becoming  a  menace  to  or  a  charge  on  society. 

a.  RESCUE  HOMES  FOR  THE  YOUNG 

Among  the  most  blessed  fruits  of  German  Inner  Mission 
work  are  its  324*  rescue  homes  for  neglected  and  delinquent 
children.  The  causes  which  produce  juvenile  delinquency  are 
many.  Perhaps  in  the  majority  of  cases  the  parents  are  at 
fault.  They  may  be  altogether  incompetent  to  train  children. 
They  may  be  too  indulgent  on  the  one  hand  or  too  rash  and 
stern  on  the  other.  They  may  be  compelled  to  earn  their 
living  away  from  home  to  the  utter  neglect  of  their  children; 
or,  where  child-labor  laws  do  not  prevent,  and  sometimes  in 
spite  of  them,  the  children  themselves  may  be  put  to  work 
while  they  should  still  be  at  school,  often  amid  surroundings 

1  In  1907. 


1 68  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

that  do  them  vast  physical  and  moral  injury.  Then  there 
are  the  parents  who  drink,  the  parents  who  loaf,  the  parents 
who  teach  their  children  to  beg,  steal,  and  lie,  the  parents 
who  allow  their  boys  to  run  with  the  "  gang,"  and  their 
girls  to  be  out  late  at  night.  What  wonder  that  children 
to  whom  the  sweet  influences  of  a  real  home  are  unknown, 
who,  instead  of  prayers  have  heard  oaths,  in  place  of  virtue 
have  seen  vice — yes,  what  wonder  that  such  become  subjects 
for  the  rescue  home?1 

But  some  also  find  their  way  there  whose  surroundings 
and  opportunities  have  been  of  the  best.  "  The  one  black 
sheep  of  the  family  "  is  not  a  mere  phrase,  but  only  too  fre- 
quently does  it  designate  a  reality  that  has  broken  many  a 
father's  and  mother's  heart.  Because  of  its  incorrigibility 
refused  admission  to  public  and  private  schools,  the  reform 
school  in  the  end  remains  the  only  alternative  for  such  a 
child.  All  such  cases,  unless  mentally  defective,  present  a 
psychological  enigma  which  can  be  explained  only  on  the 
ground  of  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  the  human  heart. 

The  first  efforts  in  behalf  of  such  children  were  made  by 
the  Swiss  educator  Pestalozzi,  in  an  institution  which  he 
opened  at  Stanz  in  1798.  This  was  in  operation  only  one 
year.  Others,  however,  with  more  positive  Christian  con- 
victions than  Pestalozzi  had,  soon  followed  in  his  footsteps 
and  established  institutions  having  a  similar  purpose,  but 
thoroughly  permeated  by  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel.  Thus, 
Count  von  der  Recke-Volmarstein,  at  Diisselthal,  in  the 
Rhine  Province,  in  1819;  Christian  H.  Zeller,  at  Beuggen, 
Baden,  in  1820;  Johannes  Falk,2  at  Weimar,  in  1821;  C.  A. 

»Dr.  Rudolph  R.  Reeder,  Superintendent  of  the  New  York  Orphan 
Asylum,  Hastings-on-the-Hudson,  says:  "The  delinquent  child  of  to-day  is 
the  product  of  city  and  town  life.  Out  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  thousand 
children  in  our  reformatories,  ninety-eight  per  cent,  come  from  cities,  towns, 
and  villages.  In  Baltimore  crime  is  said  to  be  fifty  per  cent,  greater  in  the 
slum  tenement  district  than  in  the  city  at  large;  in  Chicago  over  two  hundred 
per  cent,  greater." — How  Two  Hundred  Children  Live  and  Learn,  p.  160. 

2  "It  was  a  principle  of  Falk's  that  the  root  of  the  evil  had  its  chief  source 
not  in  ignorance,  but  in  sin;  that  it  was  not  enough,  therefore,  to  teach  writing 
and  arithmetic;  that  that  was  the  least  part  of  education;  that  it  was  more  im- 
portant to  impart  the  secret  of  a  righteous  life." — STEVENSON:  Praying  and 
Working,  p.  38. 


SAVING   OF   THE   LOST  169 

Zeller,  at  Lichtenstern,  Wiirttemberg,  in  1836;  and  in  Great 
Britain  the  Scotch  divine,  Thomas  Guthrie,  who  established 
the  so-called  "ragged  schools"  (see  biographical  sketches, 

PP-  56,  57»  58>  59>  and  8°)- 

First  in  importance  among  the  institutions  under  considera- 
tion is  the  Rauhe  Haus,  begun  by  Wichern  at  Hamburg  in 
1833  (p.  66).  Here  Wichern  introduced  the  following  char- 
acteristic features:  In  separate  houses  the  children  were 
grouped  into  "  families  "  of  ten  or  twelve  each,  so  as  to  make 
it  possible  to  give  each  child  the  utmost  individual  care,  not  only 
spiritually  but  also  in  every  other  respect;  over  these  "  families" 
housefathers  were  placed  for  whose  training  a  special  insti- 
tution (the  first  Diakonenhaus)  was  established;  provision 
was  made  for  manual  training.  As  the  number  of  children 
increased  and  new  activities  were  added,  building  after  build- 
ing was  erected,  so  that  to-day  the  institution  is  an  aggrega- 
tion of  structures,  forming  a  small  village  in  themselves. 
For  the  education  and  training  of  the  insubordinate  sons  of 
wealthy  parents  a  Pensionat  or  pay  school,  now  known  as 
the  "  Paulinum,"  was  opened  in  1852. 

Of  the  first  dozen  boys  received  by  Wichern  one  had 
committed  ninety-two  thefts  before  he  was  twelve  years 
of  age;  another  had  worn  prison  chains  from  which  he  had 
also  managed  to  free  himself;  eight  had  stolen;  and  one  of 
these  was  already  half  feeble-minded  as  the  result  of  secret 
sins.  The  first  dozen  girls  admitted  seemed  to  Wichern  to 
be  still  more  degraded.  After  undergoing  several  changes 
of  location  the  girls'  department  was  in  1886  incorporated 
with  Pastor  Ninck's  institution  at  Eppendorf ,  near  Hamburg. 

Rescue  homes  of  the  Wichern  type  do  not  have  the  char- 
acter of  an  asylum  or  penal  institution,  but  altogether  that 
of  the  Christian  home  and  family.  On  entrance  the  past  is 
forgiven  and  never  mentioned;  no  child  is  allowed  to  speak 
of  its  previous  history  to  a  companion;  there  are  no  rigid  rules 
nor  anything  like  military  espionage,  but  as  much  freedom  is 
allowed  as  is  consistent  with  good  order;  and,  above  all,  is 
every  effort  made  to  win  a  child's  confidence  and  love. 


170  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

The  reformatory  means  employed  comprise  a  judicious  com- 
bination of  work  and  recreation;  instruction  in  the  school- 
room; and,  as  the  most  potent  of  all,  careful  religious  train- 
ing in  and  out  of  chapel,  and  constant  and  conscientious 
attention  to  the  proper  spiritual  development  of  each  child. 
It  is,  therefore,  of  the  highest  importance  that  those  charged 
with  the  administration  of  rescue  homes,  whether  for  boys 
or  girls,  be  men  and  women  of  ripe  Christian  experience, 
sound  judgment,  and  much  patience,  who,  lacking  neither 
the  loving  heart  nor  the  firm  will,  can,  both  by  word  and 
example,  create  an  atmosphere  in  which  those  committed  to 
their  care  are  almost  unconsciously  influenced  for  better 
things.  Hence  deacons  and  deaconesses  are,  by  reason  of 
their  training,  especially  well  fitted  for  such  work,  and  several 
hundred  are  so  employed. 

The  methods  introduced  by  Wichern  have  been  largely 
followed  in  other  countries,  especially  that  of  grouping  into 
"  families."  In  our  own  land  this  is  now  the  practice  in  quite 
a  number  of  the  newer  juvenile  reformatories.  Unfortunately 
in  most  of  them  the  number  of  children  comprising  a  "  fam- 
ily "  is  too  large  (20  to  50) ;  and  it  is  questionable  whether 
in  any  of  them  due  stress  is  laid  upon  Wichern's  fundamental 
principle  of  individual  care  and  oversight.  Still  more  is  it 
to  be  regretted  that  in  this  country  we  have  hardly  yet 
learned  to  estimate  the  importance  of  giving  Christian  men 
and  women  a  special  training  for  work  of  this  kind. 

Children  who  have  been  inmates  of  a  German  rescue  home, 
and  who,  if  fitted  for  it,  have  been  confirmed  (usually  at 
about  fourteen),  are  thereafter,  whenever  possible,  placed 
in  good  families,  but  the  institution's  interest  in  them  does 
not  cease.  For  boys  and  girls  beyond  this  age  who  for  some 
time  still  need  correctional  care,  or  who  have  never  had  it,  a 
considerable  number  of  special  institutions,  and  special 
departments  in  existing  institutions,  have  in  recent  years 
been  provided.  These  are  conducted  in  the  same  manner 
and  spirit  as  the  homes  for  younger  children,  but  additional 
stress  is  laid  on  manual  labor  in  field,  garden,  and  shop. 


SAVING  OF  THE  LOST  171 


b.  WARFARE  AGAINST  IMMORALITY:  MAGDALEN  HOMES 

In  the  social  evil  sin  is  met  in  its  most  hideous  and  debasing 
form.  Of  all  evils  it  is  the  most  far  reaching  hi  its  frightful 
consequences  to  the  individual,  the  family,  and  society. 
It  is  the  sin  above  every  other  whose  ravages  can  be  traced 
through  generations,  and  whose  unbridled  gratification 
is  one  of  the  infallible  signs  of  national  decay.  "  Careful 
observers  believe  it  to  be  a  more  constant  and  fundamental 
cause  of  degeneration  than  intemperance.  It  certainly 
effects  degeneration  of  a  more  or  less  pronounced  type  in  a 
much  larger  number  of  persons.  It  persists  almost  to  the 
end  in  the  most  degenerate  stock,  while  at  the  same  time  it 
is  operative  among  the  healthier  classes."1  "There  was 
nothing  which  so  ruined  the  ancient  world  as  the  domin- 
ion of  fleshly  lusts;  and  nothing  would  be  so  sure  a  sign  of 
our  own  approaching  destruction  as  their  unrestrained 
indulgence."2  Prostitution  is  an  evil  that  at  any  time  may, 
and  repeatedly  does,  reduce  youth  to  premature,  helpless 
old  age;  transforms  the  body  into  a  rotten  shell;  affects 
not  only  the  sinner,  but  his  posterity;  and  makes  the  kiss 
of  love  the  means  of  carrying  contagion  and  foul  disease 
to  pure  brides  and  innocent  children.3  Against  no  other 
form  of  evil  does  Holy  Writ,  therefore,  warn  with  more  fre- 
quency and  greater  earnestness.  Only  twice  has  this  species 
of  vice  to  any  considerable  extent  been  arrested,  namely, 
during  the  first  centuries  of  the  Christian  Church  and  at 
the  time  of  the  Reformation,  demonstrating  conclusively 
that  serious  evils  disappear  only  in  proportion  as  the  Gospel 
becomes  a  power  in  the  social  and  national  life. 

Among  the  causes  which  lead  to  prostitution  are  to  be 
mentioned,  first,  certain  social  and  industrial  conditions 
which  facilitate  the  fall,  such  as  overcrowded  tenements 
and  unattractive  homes  from  which  girls  seek  the  street  for 

1  WARNER:  American  Charities,  p.  66. 

*LUTHARDT:  The  Moral  Truths  of  Christianity,  p.  121. 

'The  Encyclopedia  of  Social  Reform,  ist  ed.,  p.  981. 


172  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

fresh  air  and  recreation;  low  wages  and  the  ease  with  which 
improper  intimacies  are  formed  in  store  and  factory,  in 
counting-room  and  office;  dance  halls,  and  cheap  theatres; 
erotic  and  obscene  literature;  ignorance  regarding  matters 
of  sex;  and  the  lack  of  some  one  to  counsel,  direct,  and  pro- 
tect. Nevertheless  prostitution  can  never  be  regarded  as  a 
necessary  product  of  social  conditions.  The  chief  factor  in 
bringing  it  about  is  always  personal,  both  on  the  side  of  the 
tempter  and  on  the  side  of  the  tempted.  While  the  former 
is  driven  by  his  lusts,  the  latter  often  has  visions  of  more 
money,  fine  clothes,  and  a  good  time,  or  may  even  yield 
herself  only  for  pleasure's  sake.  "The  money  returns  fur- 
nish a  very  great  temptation  to  girls  to  part  with  their  virtue. 
Some  fall  because  they  cannot  find  work;  some  because  they 
do  not  wish  to  work.  Many  a  girl  who  is  strong,  and  healthy, 
and  comely,  and  lazy,  learns  that  there  is  a  market  for  such 
as  she;  that  she  can  earn  more  money  in  a  night  by  sin  than 
she  can  in  a  week  or  a  month  by  work,  and  she  sells  herself 
accordingly."1  But  the  income  of  the  great  majority  soon 
begins  to  decrease,  and  in  a  few  years  they  are  reduced  to 
utter  want  and  wretchedness.  Out  of  2000  cases  investi- 
gated to  ascertain  causes,  525  were  attributed  to  desti- 
tution, 513  to  inclination,  258  to  seduction,  and  181  to 
drink. 

Disclosures  in  recent  years  establish  the  fact  that  there  is 
a  systematic  traffic  in  girls.  According  to  a  German  author- 
ity London  is  the  center  of  this  traffic.  "The  London  houses 
of  ill-fame,"  he  says,  "maintain  agents  of  both  sexes  in  every 
country  of  Europe,  who  furnish  them  with  fresh  '  goods.' 
Numberless  girls  who  are  enticed  to  England  as  seamstresses, 
milliners,  servants,  governesses,  etc.,  lose  their  maidenhood 
in  London  resorts  of  ill-fame."2  Shocking  revelations  of 
this  kind  have  also  been  made  in  our  own  land;  and  it  is 
claimed  that  a  very  large  number  of  prostitutes  in  the 

1  Rev.  F.  M.  GOODCHILD,  in  The  Arena,  March,  1896. 
*Dr.  GASTON  VORBERG:   Freiheit  oder  gesundheMiche  Ueberwachung  der 
Gewerbsunzitcht,  1907,  p.  43. 


SAVING  OF  THE  LOST  173 

United  States  have  been  snared  and  trapped,  bought  and 
sold,  among  them  thousands  of  immigrant  girls.1  In  its 
presentment,  June  29,  1910,  the  Grand  Jury  charged  with 
the  investigation  of  the  alleged  existence  of  the  "white 
slave"  traffic  in  New  York,  makes  the  statement  that  there 
are  in  the  county  of  New  York  a  considerable  and  increasing 
number  of  creatures  who  live  wholly  or  in  part  upon  the 
earnings  of  girls  or  women  who  practice  prostitution.  "With 
promises  of  marriage,  of  fine  clothing,  of  greater  personal 
independence,  these  men  often  induce  girls  to  live  with  them, 
and  after  a  brief  period,  with  threats  of  exposure  or  of 
physical  violence,  force  them  to  go  upon  the  streets  as  common 
prostitutes  and  to  turn  over  the  proceeds  of  their  shame  to 
their  seducers,  who  live  largely,  if  not  wholly,  upon  the 
money  thus  earned  by  their  victims." 

Prostitutes  are  found  mainly  in  the  cities,  but  their  male 
companions  come  from  everywhere.  Especially  prevalent 
is  this  species  of  vice  in  the  large  cities  of  the  world,  where 
housing  conditions  are  often  the  poorest,  wages  the  lowest, 
and  temptations  the  greatest.  Paris  is  believed  to  support 
100,000  prostitutes;  Berlin,  40,000  to  50,000;  London,  a  far 
greater  number;  and  New  York,  Chicago,  and  Philadelphia, 
a  total  of  80,000  to  100,000.  In  1906  Miss  Kate  R.  O'Hara,  a 
rescue  mission  worker  of  large  experience,  estimated  the 
number  of  public  prostitutes  in  the  United  States  at  600,000, 
and  "possibly  as  many  more  who  sacrifice  their  chastity  in 
connection  with  some  other  form  of  livelihood."  Every 
fallen  woman  is  supposed  to  mean  at  least  five  fallen  men; 
and  it  is  maintained  that  in  the  large  cities  90  per  cent,  of 
the  men  are  guilty  of  sexual  sin.  Statistics  furthermore 
show  that  in  the  country  at  large  over  50  per  cent,  of  all 
young  men  are  infected  with  some  form  of  venereal  disease 
before  they  reach  the  age  of  thirty.2  As  the  average  life  of 
a  professional  prostitute  is  only  about  five  years,  it  will  be 

!See  article  on  "The  Girl  that  Disappears,"  by  General  Theodore  A. 
Bingham,  former  Commissioner  of  Police  for  Greater  New  York,  in  Hamp- 
ton's Magazine,  November,  1910. 

2  Dr.  ROBERT  N.WILLSON:  The  American  Boy  and  the  Social  Evil,  p.  105. 


174  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION   ACTIVITY 

seen  how  large  an  army  of  fresh  victims  must  constantly  be 
recruited  to  take  the  place  of  those  that  die. 

In  view  of  the  wide  extent  of  this  evil  and  of  its  awful 
train  of  wrecked  families,  diseased  bodies,  and  lost  souls,  we 
may  well  ask:  What  can  be  done  to  check  or  overcome  it? 
Method  after  method  has  been  tried  in  Europe  and  America 
— registration,  segregation,  licensing — and  all  have  signally 
failed.  Nor  dare  the  State  compromise  with  sin.  When 
God  says:  "Thou  shalt  not,"  the  State  cannot  say:  "Thou 
mayest,"  without  itself  becoming  a  partner  of  sin  and  incur- 
ring the  gravest  guilt. 

The  "Committee  of  Fifteen,"  New  York  City,  1902, 
declared  in  its  report  that  a  system  of  vice  regulation  as 
practiced  in  most  of  the  cities  of  continental  Europe  was  no 
radical  or  adequate  remedy  for  the  evil  even  in  its  physical 
aspects,  and  made  the  following  recommendations:  "The 
better  housing  of  the  poor,  purer  forms  of  amusement,  the 
raising  of  the  conditions  of  labor — especially  of  female  labor 
— better  moral  education,  minors  more  and  more  withdrawn 
from  the  clutches  of  vice  by  means  of  reformatories,  the 
evil  itself  unceasingly  condemned  by  public  opinion  as  a  sin 
against  morality  and  punished  as  a  crime,  with  stringent 
penalties  whenever  it  takes  the  form  of  a  public  nuisance." 

Furthermore,  there  should  be  an  equal  standard  of  sexual 
morality  for  both  sexes;  age  of  consent  laws  should  protect 
a  girl's  virtue  until  she  is  of  age  as  completely  as  the  law 
protects  her  property;  and  parents  should  at  the  proper  time 
instruct  their  children  regarding  the  use  and  destiny  of  the 
body  (i  Cor.  6  :  15-20).  The  writer1  already  quoted  again 
says:  "Ignorant  innocence  leads  most  girls  astray.  A  prudish 
silence  lands  many  a  girl  in  the  brothel,  and  provides  cus- 
tomers for  her  as  well.  It  ought  to  be  possible  to  impart  to 
our  children  some  instruction  about  these  most  important 
relations  of  life  without  mantling  the  cheeks  of  parents  or 
child  with  a  blush.  It  is  little  short  of  criminal  to  send  our 
young  people  into  the  midst  of  the  excitement  and  tempta- 

» Rev.  F.  M.  GOODCHILD. 


SAVING  OF   THE  LOST  175 

tions  of  a  great  city  with  no  more  preparation  than  if  they 
were  going  to  live  in  Paradise." 

And  what  a  responsibility  regarding  this  whole  subject 
rests  upon  the  ministry!  Surely  in  the  face  of  so  great  an 
evil  it  cannot  be  silent.  It  must  set  forth  the  divine  law 
against  sexual  uncleanness  as  fully  and  forcibly  as  any  other 
part  of  the  decalogue.  It  must  warn  the  old  and  the  young,  the 
married  and  the  single  against  its  awful  consequences  in 
time  and  in  eternity.  It  must  point  out  how  the  wrath  of  God 
pursues  its  votaries  with  unerring  certainty.  And  it  must 
plead  for  purity  in  word  and  deed  as  a  prime  necessity  for 
physical  and  spiritual  well-being,  and  for  the  preservation 
of  the  family,  of  society,  and  of  the  State.  Uncleanness  of 
this  kind  is  a  sin,  and  must  be  dealt  with  as  sin.  Hence  not 
human  enactments  and  police  regulations  must  be  relied 
upon  to  eradicate  it,  but  that  Word  of  divine  truth  which  is 
alone  able  to  change  hearts  and  lives.  The  former  may  serve 
to  keep  the  evil  in  check,  but  never  to  cure  it. 

In  England,  on  the  Continent,  and  in  the  United  States 
various  societies  are  engaged  in  the  work  of  promoting 
social  purity  among  men  and  women  alike.  The  White 
Cross  Society,  organized  in  England  in  1884  by  Bishop 
Lightfoot,  pursues  the  same  object  with  boys  and  young 
men  from  13  to  19  years  of  age.  In  Germany,  Wichern  already 
called  attention  to  the  great  need  of  waging  a  determined 
battle  against  public  immorality,  but  not  until  1885  was  the 
first  society  founded  for  this  purpose.  Since  then  numerous 
similar  societies  have  come  into  existence  in  the  different 
provinces.  The  majority  of  these  are  now  united  in  a  general 
conference  for  aggressive  work  along  many  lines.  In  1889 
a  branch  of  the  White  Cross  Society  was  organized  in  Ber- 
lin under  the  auspices  of  Dr.  Braun,  General  Superintendent; 
and  only  ten  years  later  no  less  than  179  such  branches 
could  be  counted  in  Germany,  with  a  membership  of  about 
20,000. 

Among  the  means  which  the  Inner  Mission  employs  for 
the  rescue  of  fallen  women  are  the  so-called  Magdalen 


1 76  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

homes.  The  first  of  these  was  established  by  Fliedner  at 
Kaiserswerth,  and  had  its  modest  beginning  in  1833  (see  p. 
70).  But  it  was  the  Dutch  Pastor  Heldring  who  first 
awakened  a  general  interest  in  this  cause,  and  who,  in  1848, 
opened  an  asylum  for  fallen  women  at  Steenbeck,  Hol- 
land, which  became  a  model  for  many  others  of  the  same 
kind. 

It  was  a  fundamental  principle  with  Heldring  that  such 
an  institution  must  be  neither  a  prison  nor  a  cloister,  but  a 
place  to  which  unfortunates  will  come  of  their  own  choice, 
and  in  which  they  are  never  detained  against  their  will. 
It  must  always  be  located  in  or  near  the  town  or  city  where 
the  evil  is  found.  It  is  brought  to  the  notice  of  those  whom 
it  seeks  to  benefit  through  printed  appeals,  midnight  missions, 
prison  chaplains,  city  missionaries,  parish  deaconesses,  and  es- 
pecially through  deaconesses  engaged  in  the  venereal  wards  of 
hospitals.  For  the  inmates  of  a  Magdalen  home  an  abundance 
of  work  is  provided  in  laundry,  kitchen,  field,  garden,  etc.; 
in  small  homes  all  live  together  as  a  family,  usually  under  the 
watchful  eye  and  loving  care  of  a  deaconess;  in  larger  homes 
the  method  of  grouping  into  "families"  of  ten  or  twelve  is 
observed,  each  "family"  having  its  own  "mother";  at  night 
all  occupy  one  room,  but  so  arranged  that  each  one  has  her 
own  compartment,  and  all  are  under  the  oversight  of  the 
sister  or  attendant  who  sleeps  with  them;  whilst  at  all  times 
the  greatest  care  is  taken  that  one  is  not  unfavorably  influ- 
enced by  the  other. 

The  religious  life  of  a  German  Magdalen  home  is  that  of 
the  Christian  family.  The  pastor  at  its  head  must  be  a  man 
of  more  than  ordinary  pastoral  efficiency,  who,  in  all  his 
ministrations,  must  know  how  to  divide  the  Word  of  truth 
most  profitably;  and  the  housemother  must  be  a  woman  of 
large  heart,  child-like  piety,  sound  judgment,  fine  tact,  and 
infinite  patience.  For  her  rehabilitation  the  unfortunate  one 
should  reside  at  least  two  years  in  the  home,  after  which  the 
home  seeks  a  situation  for  her  amid  favorable  surroundings, 
and  keeps  in  close  touch  with  her. 


SAVING  OF  THE  LOST  177 

Results  in  this  most  difficult  kind  of  rescue  work  are,  as  a 
rule,  not  very  encouraging.  It  is  claimed  that  only  about 
one-third  are  permanently  saved.  Nevertheless  the  winning 
back  to  right  life  of  but  one  girl  or  woman  is  already  a  great 
gain,  not  only  in  view  of  the  Lord's  declaration  regarding 
the  value  of  a  single  soul  (Matt.  16  :  26;  Luke  15  :  7,  10),  but 
also  because  thereby  at  least  one  more  source  of  moral  and 
physical  infection  is  removed. 

The  work  of  the  Magdalen  homes  is  supplemented  by  that 
of  the  so-called  Versorgungshduser,  or  shelters,  begun  by  Miss 
B.  Lungstras,  in  Bonn,  September  isth,  1873.  The  purpose 
of  these  houses  is  to  provide  a  retreat  for  girls  who  have  been 
betrayed,  give  them  and  their  illegitimate  offspring  the 
necessary  care  and  protection,  and  thus  to  prevent,  if  possible, 
their  still  deeper  fall.  After  a  time  a  suitable  place  is  found 
for  the  mother  (usually  as  a  domestic) ;  and,  to  serve  as  a 
bond  of  fellowship  with  the  house,  the  child  is  retained  until 
its  third  year.  Including  the  Frauenheime  (p.  219)  there  were, 
at  the  beginning  of  1910,  67  Inner  Mission  institutions  in 
Germany  devoted  to  the  saving  and  care  of  fallen  women  and 
the  protection  of  imperiled  girls.  With  very  few  exceptions 
these  are  conducted  by  pastors  and  deaconesses.  The 
number  of  homes  engaged  in  similar  work  in  the  United 
States — Protestant  and  Catholic — is  said  to  be  over  200. 

c.  WARFARE  AGAINST  INTEMPERANCE  :  ASYLUMS  FOR 
INEBRIATES 

Closely  allied  to  the  social  evil,  both  as  a  cause  and  as  an 
effect,  is  the  drink  evil.  Like  the  social  evil,  this  is  also  a 
most  prolific  cause  of  degeneracy.  It  impairs  the  bodily 
and  mental  faculties,  leads  to  congenital  idiocy,  brings 
wretchedness  into  the  home,  disrupts  families,  induces 
pauperism,  fills  prisons,  reformatories  and  workhouses, 
shortens  life,  and  sends  the  drinker  to  everlasting  perdition. 
Like  the  unclean  person  the  drunkard  shall  not  inherit  the 
kingdom  of  God  (i  Cor.  6  :  9,  10). 


178  FORMS  OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

How  to  deal  with  this  evil  has  long  engaged  the  thought 
and  effort  of  men  and  women  in  many  lands.  Some  have 
sought  a  solution  in  legislation.  Prohibition,  local  option, 
high  license,  and  other  expedients  have  been  tried,  but  with 
only  partial  success.  These  may  help  to  remove  the  tempta- 
tion, and,  when  supported  by  an  almost  unanimous  public 
sentiment,  may  reduce  the  traffic  almost  to  the  vanishing 
point.  Nevertheless  the  fact  remains  that  character  and 
morals  cannot  be  changed  by  law.  The  appetite  for  drink 
laughs  at  laws,  and  finds  ways  to  evade  even  the  most 
stringent. 

Another  method  of  combating  the  evil  is  attempted  through 
the  educational  and  restraining  influence  of  societies  formed 
for  this  purpose.  This  movement  dates  from  the  beginning 
of  the  last  century  and  originated  in  the  United  States. 
In  1808  the  first  modern  temperance  society  was  organized 
in  Saratoga  County,  New  York,  but  had  only  a  brief  exist- 
ence. This  was  followed  in  1813  by  the  Massachusetts 
Temperance  Society,  and  in  1826  by  the  American  Society 
for  the  Promotion  of  Temperance  (Boston),  now  known  as 
the  National  Temperance  and  Publication  Society,  with 
headquarters  in  New  York  City.  More  recent  are  the  Sons  of 
Temperance  (1842),  the  Independent  Order  of  Good  Tem- 
plars (1852),  and  the  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union 
(1874).  From  this  country  the  movement  spread  to  Great 
Britain  and  the  Continent. 

These  and  similar  societies,  in  this  and  other  lands,  have 
undoubtedly  accomplished  much  good.  They  have  laid 
bare  the  evil  of  intemperance  in  all  its  features.  They  have 
educated  public  opinion  and  awakened  a  healthier  public 
sentiment.  They  have  taught  people  to  regard  excessive 
drinking  as  disreputable,  and  even  the  best  conducted  saloon 
as  more  or  less  of  a  nuisance  in  a  neighborhood.  They  have 
saved  many  from  becoming  drunkards  and  others  who  were. 
They  have  brought  about  much  restrictive  legislation,  and 
have  in  many  places,  through  their  educational  propaganda, 
succeeded  in  eliminating  the  traffic  almost  entirely.  "With 


SAVING   OF   THE  LOST  179 

the  exception  of  the  Church  Temperance  Society  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  which  has  the  'double  basis,' 
all  the  temperance  societies  of  the  United  States  are  based 
on  the  doctrine  of  total  abstinence,  and  with  the  exception  of 
the  Father  Mathew  Total  Abstinence  Societies  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  they  all  advocate  the  principle  of 
prohibition."1 

The  radical  advocates  of  temperance  reform  have,  however, 
also  been  guilty  of  much  bad  exegesis  and  fanaticism.  As 
early  as  1833  the  first  national  temperance  convention, 
altogether  regardless  of  the  New  Testament  (John  2  :  i-n; 
Matt,  ii  :  18,  19;  Luke  7  :  33,  34;  i  Tim.  4  :  4,  5),  resolved 
that  the  use  of  ardent  spirits  as  a  beverage  and  their  sale 
was  morally  wrong.  To  make  this  theory  fit  in  with  certain 
passages  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  some  of  which  com- 
mend wine  while  others  warn  against  it,  the  further  untenable 
theory  was  propounded  that  in  the  olden  time  there  were  two 
kinds  of  wine,  unfermented  and  fermented,  and  that  it  was 
only  the  use  of  the  former  that  the  Scriptures  tolerated. 
Thus  it  came  about  that  many  churches  began  to  use  only 
so-called  unfermented  wine — some  even  water — in  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  Communion. 

This  same  fanatical  spirit  would  also  bring  about  total 
abstinence  by  means  of  universal  prohibition,  legally  enforced. 
It  fails  to  grasp  the  New  Testament  principle  that  "  intem- 
perance never  lies  in  the  use  of  any  creature  of  God,  whether 
meat  or  wine  or  marriage;  but  in  its  abuse,  either  by  excess 
injuring  soul  and  body,  or  by  offense  given  the  weak  (i  Cor. 
8  :  8-13;  Rom.  14  :  20,  21).  The  determination  of  these 
limitations  cannot  be  fixed  by  any  universal  law,  but  must  be 
decided  in  individual  cases,  and  by  the  individual  Christian 
conscience,  as  they  arise.  The  greatest  care  must  be  taken 
not  to  declare  that  to  be  sin  which  God  has  not  for- 
bidden, and  that  not  to  be  sin  which  God  has  forbidden. 
Total  abstinence  has  its  justification  only  in  so  far  as  it  is  a 
voluntary  surrender  by  the  Christian  of  a  right  which  he 

1  Encyclopaedia  Britannica:  Art.  Temperance  Societies. 


l8o  FORMS   OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

acknowledges  to  belong  to  him,  while  it  refrains  from  making 
its  decisions  of  the  claims  of  Christian  expediency  determining 
one's  own  conduct  a  standard  to  be  enforced  upon  others. 
Temperance  legislation,  so-called,  suggests,  however,  other 
questions.  Legislation  often  justly  restricts  the  use  of  what 
is  per  se  sinless,  because  of  serious  abuses  from  which  society 
suffers.  Water  is  free  and  a  good  gift  of  God,  but  such  evils 
may  threaten  the  community  by  its  waste  that  legislation 
restricting  its  use  may  be  absolutely  necessary."  * 

The  American  Good  Templar  order  was  introduced  into 
England  in  1868,  into  the  Scandinavian  countries  in  1877-80, 
and  into  Germany  in  1883-89.  Wherever  it  is  found  it  is 
organized  into  lodges  after  the  manner  of  secret  societies, 
with  ritual,  passwords,  grips,  regalia,  etc.  It  exacts  not 
merely  a  pledge,  but  the  equivalent  of  an  oath  from  those  who 
join  that  they  will  never  make,  buy,  sell,  use,  furnish,  nor 
cause  to  be  furnished  to  others,  as  a  beverage,  any  spirituous 
or  malt  liquors,  wine  or  cider,  and  will  discountenance  the 
manufacture  and  sale  thereof  in  all  proper  ways.  Into  its 
juvenile  temples  it  receives  children  from  6  to  16  years  of  age, 
whom  it  pledges  in  practically  the  same  manner  to  total 
abstinence  for  life  from  all  intoxicating  drinks,  tobacco, 
gambling,  and  vulgar  language.  But  such  unevangelical 
methods  commend  neither  this  nor  any  similar  organization 
to  those  who  see  in  intemperance  a  work  of  the  flesh  which 
can  be  effectually  overcome,  not  by  pledges  and  laws,  and 
other  man-made  expedients,  but  only  by  the  grace  of  God. 

The  temperance  organization  in  Germany  which  most 
fully  represents  Inner  Mission  principles  is  the  Blue  Cross 
Society  founded  by  the  Swiss  Pastor  Rochat  in  1877,  and 
introduced  into  Germany  in  1883.  This  rests  altogether 
on  a  Scriptural  basis  and  pursues  Scriptural  methods.  It 
does  not  regard  the  drinking  of  a  glass  of  wine  or  beer  by 
those  who  understand  the  right  use  of  all  things  as  a  sin, 
but  advocates  strict  abstinence,  self-imposed  and  voluntary, 
for  those  to  whom  this  would  be  a  temptation  to  excess,  and 

i  JACOBS:  Lutheran  Cyclopedia,  p.  508. 


SAVING   OF   THE  LOST  l8l 

for  all  who  have  already  been  enslaved  by  drink  but  wish  to 
be  freed.  It  believes  that  even  the  most  moderate  indulgence 
in  distilled  liquors  is  prejudicial  to  health  and,  therefore, 
warns  against  it.  It  asks  those  who  engage  in  the  work  of 
reforming  others  to  be  total  abstainers  for  love's  sake  and  to 
set  a  good  example  (Rom.  14  :  20,  21;  i  Cor.  chap.  8).  But 
in  no  case  does  it  look  for  substantial  and  lasting  results 
apart  from  the  Gospel.  Those  whom  it  would  protect  or  save 
must  first  learn  to  see  that  intemperance  is  a  sin,  whose 
chains  cannot  be  broken  by  self,  but  only  as  power  is  sought 
from  above;  and  those  who  labor  with  the  intemperate 
must  derive  their  inspiration  and  strength  from  the  same 
source.  In  a  word,  the  Blue  Cross  Society  begins  within,  and 
by  seeking  to  bring  the  heart  to  God  would  change  the  life. 

An  association  numbering  among  its  founders  some  of 
the  most  eminent  divines,  physicians,  jurists,  government 
officials,  political  economists,  and  business  men  in  Germany 
is  the  Society  Against  the  Abuse  of  Spirituous  Liquors  ( Verein 
gegen  Missbrauch  geistiger  Getranke),  organized  March  29, 
1883.  The  primary  purpose  of  this  society  is  social  rather 
than  individual  reform.  This  it  seeks  to  bring  about  by  the 
wide  dissemination  of  information  regarding  the  drink  evil 
in  all  its  aspects;  and  by  endeavoring  to  secure  such  legisla- 
tion and  police  regulations  as  will  at  least  put  a  check  upon 
it  as  far  as  possible. 

In  the  Scandinavian  countries  the  so-called  Gothenburg 
system  has  yielded  remarkable  results.  Under  this  system 
"the  authorities  of  each  town,  city,  or  district  are  legalized 
to  grant  all  licenses  for  the  sale  of  alcoholic  drinks  to  a 
company  consisting  of  persons  who  engage  in  the  undertak- 
ing, not  for  the  sake  of  profit,  but  solely  for  the  good  of  the 
working  classes,  and  who  do  not  derive  the  slightest  profit 
from  the  concern  beyond  the  ordinary  rate  of  interest  on 
capital  invested.  The  premises  of  the  company  on  or  in 
which  the  liquors  are  sold  must  be  in  full  view  of  the  public; 
must  be  clean,  light,  and  roomy,  and  at  the  same  time  serve 
as  eating  houses  for  the  working  classes;  and  no  liquors  can 


l82  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

be  sold  on  credit  or  pawn  tickets,  on  Sundays  or  holidays,  or 
after  6  P.  M.  in  the  evening  of  the  days  preceding  these." 
This  system,  together  with  years  of  persistent  temperance  agi- 
tation, has  resulted  in  a  vast  reduction  in  the  number  of 
places  where  liquor  is  sold,  has  diminished  to  a  correspond- 
ing extent  the  consumption  of  spirits  and  drunkenness,  has 
decreased  the  death-rate  from  chronic  alcoholism  to  a  fraction 
of  what  it  was  before,  and  greatly  increased  the  amount  of 
money  in  savings  banks. 

Victims  of  alcohol  who  can  no  longer  control  themselves 
or  be  controlled  belong  in  an  asylum  for  the  cure  of  inebri- 
acy.  A  properly  conducted  institution  of  this  kind  is, 
however,  not  a  quack  establishment  that  regards  chronic 
alcoholism  as  a  disease,  and  seeks  to  cure  it  by  purely  medical 
means.  Intemperance  in  drink  is  not  a  disease  which  a 
person  inherits  or  contracts  against  his  will,  but  it  is  an 
acquired  habit,  a  sin,  involving  moral  responsibility,  and  that 
must  in  the  last  analysis  be  dealt  with  as  sin.  True,  the 
drinker  has  so  abused  his  body,  deranged  its  functions,  and 
weakened  its  powers  that  he  needs  first  of  all  to  be  built 
up  again  physically.  And  this  is  the  first  thing  that  the  asylum 
seeks  to  do  for  him.  It  deprives  him  at  once  of  liquor,  sup- 
plies him  with  the  most  nourishing  diet,  subjects  him  to  a 
well-regulated  system  of  exercise  and  out-door  labor,  and  pos- 
sibly administers  a  few  simple  remedies  to  aid  his  nervous 
system  in  regaining  its  equilibrium.  Soon,  however,  he  is 
made  to  feel  those  ethical  and  religious  influences  which  can- 
not be  separated  from  a  home  in  which  all  dwell  together 
as  a  Christian  family,  where  God's  Word  and  the  language 
of  prayer  are  heard,  and  where  one  is  taught  to  see,  if  pos- 
sible, that  he  can  hope  to  be  permanently  cured  only  through 
Him  who  has  made  atonement  for  sin,  and  who  says:  "With- 
out Me  ye  can  do  nothing." 

The  first  inebriate  asylum  in  the  world  was  opened  in 
1851  at  Lintorf,  near  Dlisseldorf,  on  the  Rhine,  by  Candidate 
Dietrich,  of  the  Duisburger  Diakonenhaus.  According  to 
Schneider's  Jahrbuch  of  1909  there  are  now  upwards  of  fifty 


SAVING  OF  THE  LOST  183 

such  institutions  in  Germany,  six  of  them  Roman  Catholic, 
and  most  of  the  remainder  under  Inner  Mission  auspices. 

A  similar  institution  (and,  so  far  as  the  writer  knows,  the 
only  one  of  the  kind  in  the  United  States)  is  the  Franklin 
Home,  Nos.  911-15  Locust  Street,  Philadelphia,  begun  in 
1872.  Its  methods  are  essentially  those  of  the  Inner  Mission 
asylums.  We  read  in  one  of  its  publications:  "  The  inebriate 
who  enters  the  Franklin  Home  is  treated  as  an  invalid,  as 
well  as  a  sinner,  the  attempt  being  first  to  restore  his  normal 
mental  and  physical  condition,  and  then  to  arouse  his  con- 
science to  a  realization  of  his  moral  and  religious  duties  and 
responsibilities."  The  words  of  Paul,  "By  the  grace  of 
God  I  am  what  I  am,"  emblazoned  on  a  banner  in  the  chapel, 
indicate  on  what  the  institution  places  its  chief  reliance  in 
dealing  with  inebriates;  nor  has  its  confidence  been  mis- 
placed. Without  cant,  without  excitement,  without  sen- 
sationalism, but  with  confidence  in  the  quiet  power  of  that 
Word  which  maketh  wise  unto  salvation,  the  Home  has 
brought  about  the  permanent  reformation  of  fully  40  per 
cent,  of  the  8000  men  who  have  entered  it  since  it  was 
opened.  Moreover,  this  Home  does  not  seek  to  make  money 
out  of  its  inmates  like  numerous  "  institutes "  that  treat 
inebriacy  as  a  " disease,"  with  quack  remedies,  for  so  much  a 
week.  Almost  half  of  its  work  is  purely  charitable. 

In  the  United  States  farm  colonies,  under  State  control,  are 
being  established  here  and  there,  to  which  habitual  inebri- 
ates, who  cannot  be  controlled  in  any  other  way,  are  com- 
mitted by  legal  process. 

d.  CARE  OF  CONVICTS  AND  DISCHARGED  PRISONERS 

Perhaps  no  department  of  present  day  philanthropic  work 
is  so  much  indebted  to  Christianity  for  its  inspiration  and 
achievements  as  the  work  for  and  among  prisoners.  In  the 
ranks  of  modern  Christians  there  are  four  whose  names 
will  ever  continue  to  be  associated  with  the  great  move- 
ment towards  prison  reform,  namely,  John  Howard  and 


1 84  FORMS   OF   INNER  MISSION   ACTIVITY 

Elizabeth  Fry  in  England,  and  Fliedner  and  Wichern  in 
Germany. 

Prior  to  the  last  century  the  barbarities  and  cruelties  inflicted 
on  prisoners  form  one  of  the  darkest  chapters  in  history. 
Men  and  women  were  incarcerated  on  the  slightest  pretext, 
often  on  the  merest  suspicion.  They  were  locked  up  for 
debt,  and  put  out  of  the  way  for  political  and  religious  reasons. 
In  England  prison  officers  were  not  paid  salaries,  but  were 
dependent  for  their  livelihood  on  fees  which  they  extracted 
from  the  prisoners.  Until  these  fees  were  paid  even  those 
were  detained  against  whom  juries  found  no  evidence  of 
guilt,  or  whose  prosecutors  had  not  appeared.  Over  two 
hundred  offenses,  many  of  them  comparatively  trivial,  were 
punishable  with  death;  and  not  until  1861  did  England 
abolish  the  death  penalty  for  all  offenses  excepting  murder 
and  treason.  Deplorable  conditions,  moreover,  existed  in 
the  prisons  themselves,  not  only  in  England,  but  in  other 
lands  as  well.  In  his  tour  of  inspection,  begun  in  1773, 
Howard  found  that  "they  were  for  the  most  part  pestiferous 
dens,  densely  overcrowded,  dark,  foully  dirty,  not  only 
ill  ventilated,  but  deprived  altogether  of  fresh  air.  The 
wretched  inmates  were  thrown  into  subterranean  dungeons, 
into  wet  and  noisome  caverns  and  hideous  holes  to  rot  and 
fester,  a  prey  to  fell  disease  bred  and  propagated  in  the 
prison  house,  and  deprived  of  the  commonest  necessaries  of 
life.  For  food  they  were  dependent  upon  the  caprice  of 
their  jailers  or  the  charity  of  the  benevolent;  water  was 
denied  them  except  in  the  scantiest  proportions.  They  were 
half  naked  or  in  rags:  their  only  bedding  was  putrid  straw 
reeking  with  exhalations  and  accumulated  filth.  Every  one 
in  durance,  whether  tried  or  untried,  was  heavily  ironed; 
women  did  not  escape  the  infliction.  All  alike  were  subject 
to  the  rapacity  of  their  jailers  and  the  extortions  of  their 
fellows.  Jail  fees  were  levied  ruthlessly — 'garnish'  also,  the 
tax  or  contribution  paid  by  each  individual  to  a  common 
fund  to  be  spent  by  the  whole  body,  generally  in  drink. 
Drunkenness  was  universal  and  quite  unchecked;  gambling 


SAVING   OF  THE  LOST  185 

of  all  grades  was  practiced;  vice  and  obscenity  were  every- 
where in  the  ascendant.  Idleness,  drunkenness,  vicious 
intercourse,  sickness,  starvation,  squalor,  cruelty,  chains, 
awful  oppression,  and  everywhere  culpable  neglect  —  in 
these  words  may  be  summed  up  the  state  of  the  jails  at  the 
time  of  Howard's  visitation."1 

The  revelations  made  by  Howard  and  his  persistent 
agitation  of  the  subject  led  to  the  Act  of  1799,  which  laid  the 
foundation  of  the  modern  penitentiary  and  reformatory 
system.  The  object  in  view  was  thus  stated:  "It  was  hoped, 
by  sobriety,  cleanliness,  and  medical  assistance,  by  a  regular 
series  of  labor,  by  solitary  confinement  during  the  intervals 
of  work,  and  by  due  religious  instruction,  to  preserve  and 
amend  the  health  of  the  unhappy  offenders,  to  mure  them  to 
habits  of  industry,  to  guard  them  from  pernicious  company, 
to  accustom  them  to  serious  reflection,  and  to  teach  them 
both  the  principles  and  practice  of  every  Christian  and  moral 
duty."2  Under  this  act,  after  many  delays,  the  great  peni- 
tentiary at  Millbank  was  built  and  opened  in  1816,  but, 
with  few  exceptions,  the  common  prisons  throughout  the 
United  Kingdom  remained  deplorably  bad  in  spite  of  con- 
siderable progressive  legislation  for  the  amelioration  of 
prisoners.  This  led  to  the  formation  in  1817  of  the  first 
English  prison  society  for  the  improvement  of  prison  dis- 
cipline, of  which  Elizabeth  Fry  was  the  moving  spirit.  The 
results  achieved  by  this  organization,  largely  through  the 
personal  efforts  of  Mrs.  Fry  herself,  almost  at  once  attracted 
general  attention,  and  as  a  consequence  other  similar 
societies  were  soon  formed  in  England  and  on  the  Continent. 

The  first  prison  society  in  the  world  was,  however,  organ- 
ized in  America,  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  February  2, 
1776,  only  two  years  after  Howard  made  his  first  report. 
Interrupted  in  its  work  by  the  war,  it  was  reorganized  May 
8,  1787,  as  the  Philadelphia  Society  for  Alleviating  the  Mis- 
eries of  Public  Prisons,  but  is  now  known  as  the  Pennsyl- 


Britannica.     Vol.  xix,  Art.  Prison  Discipline. 
Ubid. 


1 86  FORMS  OF   INNER  MISSION   ACTIVITY 

vania  Prison  Society.  Over  one  hundred  prominent  citizens 
of  Philadelphia — among  them  Benjamin  Rush  and  Benjamin 
Franklin — signed  its  original  constitution.  In  its  member- 
ship the  Society  of  Friends  has  always  been  largely  represented. 
Its  first  president  was  Bishop  White  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Helmuth  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  was  one  of  its  first  two  vice-presidents.  For  a  century 
and  a  quarter  it  has  continued  its  beneficent  work.  Before 
the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century  and  twenty  years  before 
Elizabeth  Fry  exposed  the  horrors  of  Newgate  in  London 
it  had  already  secured  much  remedial  legislation.  Since 
then  its  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  physical  and  moral  well- 
being  of  prisoners  have  never  been  relaxed.  Its  official  rep- 
resentatives are  regular  visitors  in  the  penal  institutions 
of  Philadelphia  and  vicinity  and  in  other  parts  of  the  State; 
by  means  of  visits  and  correspondence  the  general  secretary 
keeps  the  society  informed  of  conditions  in  the  county  jails 
throughout  the  State;  and  in  1909  it  was  one  of  the  prime 
movers  in  securing  the  enactment  of  the  law  providing  for 
adult  probation,  the  indeterminate  sentence,  and  parole. 

The  example  set  by  Pennsylvania  was  followed  in  other 
States,  and  all  the  societies  that  have  since  been  formed  have 
actively  promoted  legislative  enactments  and  brought  about 
many  reforms.  Besides,  Pennsylvania,  Massachussetts, 
New  York,  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Minnesota  are  especially 
conspicuous  for  the  advances  they  have  made  in  the  admin- 
istration of  their  penitentiaries  and  reformatories.  Unfor- 
tunately, in  nearly  all  the  States  the  county  jails  show  the 
least  progress. 

Within  the  last  forty  years  scientific  penology  has  been 
greatly  advanced  in  the  United  States  by  the  National, 
now  the  American  Prison  Association,  formed  in  1870;  and 
throughout  the  world  by  the  International  Prison  Congress, 
which  held  its  first  meeting  in  1872,  and  assembles  every 
five  years. 

In  Germany  it  was  Fliedner  who  first  became  actively 
interested  in  prisons  and  prison  reform.  He  had  learned  to 


SAVING   OF  THE  LOST  187 

know  the  horrors  of  prison  life  in  his  visits  to  the  convicts 
at  Diisseldorf,  had  been  impressed  by  the  beneficent  work 
of  Elizabeth  Fry  in  England,  and,  with  this  before  his  mind, 
organized  the  Rhenish- Westphalian  Prison  Society  in  1826 
for  similar  work  in  Germany.  This  society,  the  first  of  the  kind 
on  the  Continent,  had  for  its  specific  purpose  the  appointment 
of  prison  chaplains  and  teachers,  the  establishment  of  libraries 
and  the  distribution  of  good  literature  in  prisons,  and  the 
care  of  discharged  prisoners.  Through  its  influence  many 
needed  reforms  were  brought  about;  and,  like  the  several 
other  general  societies  that  have  since  been  formed,  it  has 
numerous  local  branches  for  the  care  of  prisoners  whose 
terms  have  expired.  Of  such  branches,  representing  all  the 
general  societies,  there  are  to-day  about  430. 

Wichern  strongly  advocated  prison  reform  in  his  Denk- 
schrifl  and  in  other  papers  and  addresses.  Not  merely  im- 
proved buildings,  nor  a  particular  system  of  discipline,  were 
in  his  mind  the  chief  factors  in  seeking  to  bring  about  the 
rehabilitation  of  the  prisoner,  but  an  improved  administra- 
tive personnel.  With  him  persons  counted  more  than  things, 
and  according  to  his  way  of  thinking  character  could  only 
be  formed  again  by  contact  with  character.  Hence,  we  hear 
him  say:  "  One  of  the  first  duties  of  the  Inner  Mission  is  to 
look  after  the  imprisoned  not  only  through  the  printed  Word, 
but  in  the  living  person,  who,  quickened  and  strengthened 
by  that  Word  and  in  the  spirit  of  love  and  wisdom  through 
earnest  work  and  loving  deed  can  approach  these  erring 
brethren  in  the  flesh."  l  It  was  a  part  of  his  program  to 
furnish  brothers  from  the  Rauhe  Ham  for  such  service,  and, 
warmly  supported  by  King  Frederick  William  IV,  he  suc- 
ceeded in  1856  in  placing  thirty-seven  as  overseers  in  the 
Moabit  prison  at  Berlin.  His  appointment  in  1857  to  a  posi- 
tion in  the  Department  of  the  Interior,  and  as  a  member  of 
the  High  Consistory,  led  him  to  hope  that  he  would  ulti- 
mately be  permitted  to  render  a  like  service  to  other  prisons; 
and,  with  this  in  view,  he  established  the  Johannesstift  in 

i  Gesammelte  Schriften.     Vol.  iii,  p.  297. 


1 88  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION   ACTIVITY 

Berlin,  in  which  men  were  to  be  trained  specially  for  work  in 
prisons  and  city  missions.  But  by  degrees  he  encountered 
much  opposition,  and  his  hopes  were  not  realized. 

For  persons  convicted  of  State  prison  offences  two  systems 
of  imprisonment  are  in  vogue — the  separate  (only  one  prisoner 
to  a  cell,  day  and  night)  and  the  congregate  (separate  cellu- 
lar confinement  at  night,  congregate  work  during  the  day). 
The  former  originated  with  the  Eastern  State  Penitentiary 
in  Philadelphia,  and  is  known  throughout  the  world  as  the 
"  Pennsylvania  System."  This  system,  which  at  first  met 
with  much  favor,  has  been  abandoned  in  all  other  convict 
prisons  in  the  United  States,  and  largely  in  other  countries. 
Even  at  Philadelphia  it  is  no  longer  enforced.  The  congre- 
gate system  was  first  introduced  in  the  State  prison  at  Auburn, 
N.  Y.  (hence  also  called  the  "  Auburn  System  "),  and  is 
to-day,  with  various  modifications,  the  prevailing  system  in 
the  penitentiaries  of  the  United  States.  For  prisoners  await- 
ing trial,  and  for  short  term  prisoners,  the  separate  system  is, 
however,  almost  universally  considered  desirable;  but,  as  in 
many  county  prisons  this  is  not  enforced,  and  prisoners  of 
every  grade  and  age  are  often  permitted  to  commingle  in- 
discriminately, these  institutions  are  not  infrequently  and 
justly  denominated  "  schools  of  vice." 

Penal  institutions  should  be  so  located  and  constructed 
as  to  safeguard  the  health  of  their  inmates.  The  State 
itself  commits  a  crime  if  it  incarcerates  a  person  in  a  place  so 
unsanitary  that  it  wrecks  his  physical  health.  Besides 
sanitary  buildings,  nourishing  food  in  sufficient  quantity  and 
well  prepared  should  be  furnished,  and  provision  be  made  for 
abundant  physical  exercise.  But  the  prison  reformer  of 
to-day  looks  far  beyond  the  merely  physical  and  material. 
He  seeks  the  reformation  of  the  criminal.  He  would,  if 
possible,  return  him  to  society  so  improved  in  his  moral 
nature  as  to  make  him  a  law-abiding  citizen.  Hence,  he 
asks  that  the  prisoner  be  given  such  opportunities  and  have 
such  influences  brought  to  bear  upon  him  as  will  tend  to 
cure  him  of  his  criminal  propensities;  or,  in  other  words,  he 


SAVING  OF  THE  LOST  189 

would  have  the  place  of  incarceration  regarded  and  conducted 
rather  as  a  hospital  for  the  recovery  of  moral  well-being  than 
as  a  place  of  vindictive  punishment. 

Among  the  means  to  this  end  are  industries  which  provide 
steady  employment  and  prevent  the  certain  demoralization 
which  results  from  a  long  period  of  enforced  idleness;  prison 
schools;  well-selected  libraries  and  periodicals;  the  cultiva- 
tion of  vocal  and  instrumental  music;  a  wisely  administered 
grading  and  parole  system;  and,  above  all,  such  a  presenta- 
tion of  divine  truth  and  such  individual  pastoral  care  on  the 
part  of  the  chaplain  as  will  lead  to  genuine  repentance. 
But  the  success  of  the  best  devised  reformatory  means  will 
be  jeopardized  if  wardens,  superintendents,  and  overseers  are 
not  themselves  animated  by  Christian  principles  and  a  sincere 
purpose  by  all  that  they  say  and  do  to  benefit  their  charges. 
A  system  of  special  training  as  advocated  by  Wichern  would, 
therefore,  serve  a  most  useful  purpose.  All  the  means  above 
indicated  can  and  should  be  employed  in  State  prisons  and 
reformatories,  and  as  many  of  them  as  can  find  application  in 
county  prisons. 

A  new  departure  that  has  in  recent  years  received  wide 
recognition  in  the  United  States  and  yielded  excellent  results 
is  the  one  under  which  an  indeterminate  sentence  is  passed 
upon  the  person  adjudged  guilty,  between  the  minimum  and 
maximum  of  which  he  may  be  paroled  into  the  care  of  a  parole 
officer,  who  will  act  as  his  first  friend  and  adviser.  If  by 
industry  and  good  habits  the  paroled  person  approves  him- 
self, he  is  finally  discharged  on  the  expiration  of  the  maximum, 
sometimes  sooner;  if  he  violates  the  terms  of  his  parole  he  is 
remanded  back  to  prison  to  serve  the  full  penalty  provided 
by  law. 

The  most  critical  time  in  the  life  of  a  convict  is  the  day  and 
hour  of  his  release  from  prison.  If  he  has  been  long  in  con- 
finement he  is  more  or  less  out  of  touch  with  the  world's 
life  and  activities,  and  at  first  hardly  fitted  physically  or 
otherwise  again  to  undertake  life's  duties.  If  he  is  known  as 
an  ex-convict  the  public  and  the  police  are  against  him,  and 


FORMS   OF   INNER   MISSION   ACTIVITY 

he  finds  it  difficult  to  get  and  retain  employment.  The  sum 
of  money  given  him  on  his  discharge — usually  much  too 
small — is  soon  exhausted;  and,  unless  he  had  some  to  his 
credit  for  working  overtime  in  prison,  or  has  a  home  to  which 
he  can  go,  where  shall  he  find  bread  and  where  lay  his  head? 
What  wonder  that  many  who  come  out  with  good  resolu- 
tions again  lapse  into  evil  ways!  It  is  to  take  such  by  the 
hand,  relieve  their  immediate  needs,  find  work  for  them,  and 
by  friendly  counsel  and  watchful  care  to  put  them  on  their 
feet  again,  that  prisoners'  aid  societies  and  homes  for  dis- 
charged prisoners  have  come  into  being.  In  Germany,  as 
has  already  been  mentioned,  there  is  a  complete  network 
of  such  associations,  and  in  this  country  a  number  of  societies 
and  homes  devote  themselves  to  work  of  this  kind.  Fre- 
quently it  is  also  found  necessary  to  render  a  measure  of 
assistance  to  families  whose  bread  winner  is  in  prison. 

But  in  spite  of  all  that  Christian  love  may  do  there  are 
always  some  who  are  not  amenable  to  it.  They  will  again 
begin  their  depredations  on  society  almost  as  soon  as  dis- 
charged; and  it  is  not  unusual  for  prison  workers  to  find  those 
in  State  prisons  who  had  served  several  sentences  before,  and 
are  likely  to  come  back  again.  From  such  society  must 
protect  itself  as  it  does  from  lepers  and  the  dangerously 
insane,  namely,  by  permanent  segregation.  This  is  the 
method  now  followed  in  several  States  of  our  own  land. 

For  dealing  with  juvenile  offenders  the  Juvenile  Court  has 
come  into  vogue  in  the  United  States.  Under  this  system 
a  delinquent  child,  pending  an  examination,  is  usually  not 
taken  to  a  lock-up,  station  house,  or  prison,  but  to  a  house  of 
detention,  where  it  is  not  brought  into  contact  with  hardened 
criminals.  Its  case  is  heard  in  a  special  court,  having  its  own 
judge,  and,  as  a  rule,  only  before  persons  whose  presence  is 
deemed  necessary.  A  probation  officer  assists  the  court  in 
obtaining  information  regarding  the  child's  family,  bringing- 
up,  associations,  etc.  The  child  may  be  dismissed  with  an 
admonition  from  the  judge,  which  in  many  cases  is  all  that  is 
needed;  or  it  may  be  committed  to  the  care  of  the  probation 


SAVING   OF  THE   LOST 

officer,  to  be  watched  over,  guided,  and  reported,  without 
being  sent  to  a  reform  school.  If  this  does  not  prove  effective, 
the  delinquent  may  be  placed  in  a  country  home,  but  still 
under  the  supervision  of  the  probation  officer;  and  only  when 
this  does  not  answer  is  it  sent  to  an  industrial  or  reform  school, 
and,  last  of  all,  to  the  reformatory. 

This  same  principle  is  in  a  number  of  States  also  applied 
to  adult  first  offenders  whose  previous  record  has  been  good, 
and  who  are  not  charged  with  any  of  the  more  serious  crimes. 
Known  as  "  adult  probation,"  it  is  a  substitute  for  imprison- 
ment. Massachusetts  was  the  first  to  introduce  it,  and  after 
an  experience  of  more  than  twenty  years  has  become  its 
stanchest  advocate.  :'  The  advantages  of  probation  over 
imprisonment  are  many.  A  very  large  proportion  of  those 
who  are  convicted  for  the  first  time  are  not  criminal  in  char- 
acter, but  have  committed  their  offenses  under  exceptional 
circumstances.  If  imprisoned  with  habitual  offenders  they 
are  likely  to  return  worse  than  when  they  were  sent  away. 
They  are  also  saved  from  the  prison  stigma,  which  makes  it 
difficult  for  a  discharged  convict  to  obtain  employment. 
The  family  shares  the  stigma  and  the  disgrace  when  one  if  its 
members  is  imprisoned.  Probation  saves  from  this.  If 
the  convict  is  the  head  of  the  family,  and  is  the  wage-earner, 
imprisonment  deprives  the  family  of  support  and  fosters 
pauperism.  If  placed  on  probation  he  continues  to  support 
his  family.  When  imprisonment  ends,  restraint  ends.  It 
is  needed  when  the  prisoner  is  free.  Probation  furnishes  re- 
straint to  the  free  man,  and  reinforces  all  his  good  purposes. 
It  controls  his  companionships,  keeps  him  out  of  the  saloon, 
and  inspires  a  wholesome  fear  of  the  consequences  of  wrong- 
doing, as  he  may  be  surrendered  and  sentenced  for  any  cause. 

"  The  results  have  justified  the  adoption  of  the  method. 
A  large  proportion  of  the  probationers  do  well  during  the 
probationary  period.  The  courts  that  have  made  the  largest 
use  of  it  and  have  seen  most  of  its  results  are  heartiest  in  its 
support."  l 

1  Bulletin  No.  19.     Massachusetts  Prison  Association. 


1 92  FORMS  OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

VI.  The  Care  of  the  Sick  and  the  Defective 

Just  as  Jesus  went  about  and,  in  connection  with  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel,  healed  all  manner  of  sickness  and 
disease  among  the  people  (Matt.  4 :  23  et  al.) ;  as  He  helped 
the  blind  and  lame,  the  deaf  and  dumb,  the  leprous  and 
palsied,  and  those  possessed  of  evil  spirits,  so  the  Inner 
Mission  regards  it  as  one  of  its  chief  duties  to  serve  the  sick 
and  defective  to  the  utmost  of  its  ability.  Its  purpose  in 
doing  so  is  not  only  to  relieve  suffering,  but  to  glorify  the 
Master  by  demonstrating  through  its  own  acts  of  love  that 
His  love  is  still  operative  in  the  world.  It  would  thus  in 
effect  say  to  those  to  whom  it  ministers:  "  I  beseech  you 
...  by  the  mercies  of  God,  that  ye  present  your  bodies  a 
living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto  God,  which  is  your 
reasonable  service.  And  be  not  conformed  to  this  world; 
but  be  ye  transformed  by  the  renewing  of  your  mind,  that  ye 
may  prove  what  is  that  good,  and  acceptable,  and  perfect  will 
of  God"  (Rom.  12:1,  2). 

a.  HOSPITAL  CARE  OF  THE  SICK 

The  hospital  system  of  caring  for  the  sick  is  the  direct 
product  of  Christian  charity.  Among  the  heathen  of  pre- 
Christian  times  the  care  of  the  sick  devolved  upon  the 
slaves  of  the  household;  and  where  there  were  no  slaves 
the  sick  were  obliged  to  care  for  themselves  as  best  they 
could.  The  life  of  a  citizen  was  considered  valuable  only 
so  long  as  he  could  contribute  to  the  welfare  of  the  State; 
and  when  he  was  no  longer  able  to  do  this,  he  could  be 
abandoned  without  scruple.  That  human  life  was  in  itself 
sacred,  and  that  those  in  health  owed  any  special  duties 
to  the  sick,  was  a  thought  utterly  foreign  to  the  heathen 
mind.  This  continued  to  be  the  case  until  Christianity 
triumphed  over  heathenism.  In  the  meantime  the  Chris- 
tians, in  sharp  contrast  with  the  brutal  practice  of  the 
heathen,  gave  the  sick,  and  especially  those  of  their  own 


CARE  OF  THE   SICK  AND  THE  DEFECTIVE  193 

number,  the  most  loving  attention;  and  when  Christianity 
finally  became  the  dominant  religion,  it  also  added  the  care 
of  the  neglected  sick  in  general  to  its  other  forms  of  benevo- 
lent activity  by  establishing  hospitals  for  this  purpose. 
Chief  among  these  was  that  of  Basil  the  Great  at  Cassarea  in 
Cappadocia,  founded  in  A.  D.  369.  This  hospital,  which 
might  more  properly  be  called  a  colony  of  mercy  for  the  sick 
and  needy  of  every  kind,  consisted  of  numerous  buildings 
patterned  after  a  private  house.  This  style  of  arrange- 
ment continued  to  the  Middle  Ages,  when  the  large  pal- 
aces of  the  rich  and  noble,  in  quadrangular  form,  having 
a  court  in  the  center,  began  to  be  followed  as  the  pattern, 
and  the  care  of  the  sick  also  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
different  orders,  brotherhoods,  and  sisterhoods.  After  the 
Reformation  this  work,  in  Protestant  lands,  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  civil  authorities,  and  of  men  and  women  who 
often  had  little  or  none  of  the  spirit  of  the  great  Healer 
in  their  hearts.  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  for  two 
centuries  and  more  the  management  of  many  institutions 
for  the  sick  was  marked  by  much  neglect  and  inhumanity. 
It  remained  for  Fliedner  and  others,  aided  by  the  restored 
female  diaconate,  to  re-establish  this  work  on  a  thoroughly 
Christian  basis.  To  the  great  improvements  in  hospital 
construction  and  equipment,  and  the  vast  progress  made  in 
medical  and  surgical  science,  have  now  also  been  added  vastly 
improved  methods  of  management,  nursing,  etc.,  all  of  them 
the  conscious  or  unconscious  outgrowth  of  Christian  charity. 
In  1910  the  84  motherhouses  comprised  in  the  Kaiserswerth 
Union  had  7286  deaconesses  stationed  in  1115  hospitals;  and 
even  those  hospitals  in  which  only  so-called  trained  nurses  are 
employed  have  come  under  the  influence  of  the  great  upward 
movement  set  in  motion  by  Theodor  Fliedner.  For  did 
not  Florence  Nightingale  (1820-1910),  the  "  mother "  of 
the  trained  nurse  system,  get  her  chief  inspiration  and  the 
bulk  of  her  training  among  the  deaconesses  at  Kaiserswerth?  * 

1  In  the  years  1850-51  Miss  Nightingale  spent  four  months  in  the  Kaisers- 
werth Deaconess  House.    There,  according  to  Fliedner  himself,  she  labored 


194  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church  has  never  ceased  to  be  active 
in  hospital  work,  and  its  institutions  for  the  care  of  the  sick 
continue  to  be  among  the  best. 

While  it  is  true  that  the  larger  number  of  hospitals  are  not 
church  hospitals,  it  can  hardly  be  said  that  they  are  entirely 
independent  of  religious  influence  and  control.  There  are 
few  indeed  in  which  clergymen  are  not  always  welcome  to 
minister  to  the  spiritual  needs  of  patients;  whilst  church 
hospitals,  as  a  rule,  have  their  regular  chaplains.  But 
besides  this,  much  depends  on  the  atmosphere  created  by 
those  in  direct  charge.  A  patient  needs  more  than  fine 
material  surroundings,  skilful  treatment,  and  scientific 
nursing.  To  all  this  the  nurse,  whether  deaconess  or  not, 
must,  above  everything  else,  add  the  loving  sympathy  of  a 
Christian  heart,  and  by  word  and  example  demonstrate 
to  the  one  in  her  charge  that  she  has  a  living  interest  both 
in  his  physical  and  in  his  spiritual  well-being.  It  was  thus 
that  the  Master  dealt  with  the  sick  and  infirm,  and  the  more 
closely  a  hospital  follows  His  practice  the  more  Christian 
and  helpful  it  will  become. 

b.  INSTITUTIONS  FOR  PHYSICAL  AND  MENTAL  DEFECTIVES 

Under  this  general  head  are  included  the  institutions  for 
the  deaf  and  dumb,  the  blind,  the  crippled,  the  epileptic 
and  the  feeble-minded,  idiotic  and  insane,  in  the  conduct  of 

among  the  sick  "with  a  modesty,  humility,  self-denial,  tact,  and  devotion  such 
as  only  the  Spirit  of  God  can  produce,  and  at  the  same  time  gave  evidence  of 
such  accurate  Christian  knowledge,  and  such  a  sound  faith  as  to  demonstrate 
in  the  highest  degree  that  she  was  absolutely  uninfluenced  by  anything 
like  Romish  and  Puseyite  work-righteousness."  She  first  won  general  recog- 
nition for  her  extraordinary  labors  in  reforming  the  sanitary  condition  of  the 
British  army  during  the  Crimean  War.  On  her  return  to  England  a  testi- 
monial fund  of  $250,000  was  subscribed,  which  she  accepted  only  on  condition 
that  she  might  devote  it  to  benevolence.  Her  first  thought  was  to  establish 
and  personally  conduct  a  deaconess  house  of  the  Kaiserswerth  type:  but  the 
hardships  endured  in  the  army  had  already  so  seriously  affected  her  health 
that  she  feared  to  undertake  a  work  which  in  its  details  required  so  much  exact- 
ing labor.  She  therefore  used  the  fund  at  her  disposal  to  establish  and  main- 
tain a  training-school  for  nurses  (1860)  in  connection  with  the  St.  Thomas 
Hospital,  London,  and  an  institution  for  the  instruction  of  midwives  at  Kings 
College  Hospital. 


CARE  OF   THE   SICK   AND   THE  DEFECTIVE  195 

which  organs  of  the  Church  or  the  Inner  Mission  participate 
to  a  greater  or  less  extent.  In  all  these  the  highest  peda- 
gogical and  medical  skill  should  go  hand  in  hand,  so  as  to 
bring  about  the  largest  measure  of  physical  and  mental  im- 
provement, whenever  possible.  In  Germany  by  far  the 
greater  number  of  the  121  institutions  for  deaf-mutes  and  the 
blind  are  to-day  under  State  control;  and  of  the  115  such 
institutions  in  the  United  States,  66  were  in  1904  public,  34 
private,  and  only  15  ecclesiastical. 

1.  Deaf-mutes. — Inability  to  speak  is,  as  a  rule,  not  due  to 
any  defect  in  the  vocal  organs,  but  is  the  result  of  congenital 
or    very    early    deafness.     A    French    clergyman,    Charles 
Michel  de  1'Epee  (1712-1788),  was  the  first  to  interest  him- 
self in  behalf  of  such  unfortunates.     He  invented  the  so- 
called  sign  language  and  manual  alphabet,  and  in  1770  began 
an  institution  for  deaf-mutes  in  Paris.    His  method  has, 
however,  been  almost  entirely  superseded  by  the  oral  method 
in  which  articulation  and  lip  reading  form  the  basis  of  in- 
struction.    This   was  introduced  by   the  German,  Samuel 
Heinicke  (1729-1790),  in  an  institution  which  he  founded  at 
Leipzig  in  1798,  and  was  subsequently  improved  by  others. 
This  system  is  to-day  everywhere  yielding  excellent  results. 
Those  who  enjoy  its  advantages  not  only  learn  to  articulate 
fairly  well,  but  to  converse  with  others  by  reading  what  they 
say  from  their  lips.     By  far  the  larger  number  of  the  91  insti- 
tutions for  deaf-mutes  in  Germany  are  to-day  maintained 
by  the  State,  and  can,  therefore,  not  be  classified  as  Inner 
Mission  institutions. 

2.  The    Blind. — The    causes    of    blindness    are    various. 
Perhaps  the  most  frequent  is  the  neglect  of  sore  and  inflamed 
eyes  in  early  childhood;  hence,  the  large  number  of  blind 
found  among  the  poor  and  ignorant. 

Only  during  the  last  century  and  a  quarter  have  the  blind, 
like  the  deaf  and  dumb,  become  a  very  special  object  of 
Christian  care.  The  pioneers  in  this  kind  of  work  were 
Valentin  Haliy  (1756-1822)  in  Paris,  and  Joh.  Wilh.  Klein 
(1765-1848)  in  Vienna.  In  1806  the  first  institution  for  the 


IQ  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

blind  in  Germany  was  opened  at  Berlin.  In  1910  there  were 
33.  Nearly  all  of  these,  though  begun  as  private  institu- 
tions, are  to-day  wholly  or  in  part  subject  to  State  control. 
In  our  own  land  most  of  the  States  have  made  provision  for 
the  instruction  of  the  blind,  and  some  of  the  institutions  are 
not  excelled  by  any  in  the  world. 

Haiiy  invented  the  system  of  teaching  the  blind  to  read  by 
means  of  raised  letters.  This  and  its  modifications  have 
been  almost  entirely  superseded,  especially  for  writing,  by 
the  Braille  system,  a  combination  of  dots  for  the  letters,  in 
various  positions. 

Besides  giving  instruction  in  the  branches  usually  taught 
in  other  schools,  an  institution  for  the  blind  must  also  seek 
to  fit  its  pupils  for  life  by  giving  them  a  measure  of  manual 
training.  This  generally  consists  in  such  occupations  as 
broom-,  basket-,  mattress-,  and  brush-making,  carpet  weav- 
ing, cane-seating,  and  piano-tuning  for  men;  and  sewing, 
crochetting,  knitting,  fancy  work,  and  sometimes  cane-seat- 
ing for  women.  Many  blind  show  an  extraordinary  apti- 
tude for  the  higher  branches  of  learning,  especially  for  music; 
and  under  the  excellent  system  of  instruction  in  our  own 
leading  institutions  many  of  their  graduates  have  achieved 
success  as  scholars  and  musicians,  and  nearly  all  are  made  in 
part  or  wholly  self-supporting.  For  those  who  do  not  be- 
come so,  special  asylums  or  working-homes  are  necessary  if 
they  have  no  home  of  their  own. 

3.  The  Crippled. — While  the  care  and  instruction  of  deaf- 
mutes  and  the  blind  has  everywhere  become  almost  exclus- 
ively the  work  of  the  State,  the  care  of  the  crippled  still 
remains  as  a  form  of  Inner  Mission  activity  in  Germany  and 
the  Scandinavian  countries. 

The  first  institution  in  the  world  designed  especially  for 
cripples  was  founded  by  a  Roman  Catholic,  Johann  Nepo- 
muk  von  Kurz,  at  Munich,  in  1832.  In  1853  and  1858 
this  was  followed  by  two  others  in  Paris,  likewise  under 
Roman  Catholic  auspices.  The  Reformed  Pastor  Bost 
received  cripples  into  his  institutions  at  Laforce,  France; 


INSTITUTION  FOR  CRIPPLES  AT  CRACAU 


THE  "  COLONY  or  MERCY  "  AT  BIELEFELD 


CARE  OF  THE   SICK   AND  THE  DEFECTIVE  197 

and  in  1861  and  1864  two  institutions  for  crippled  girls 
sprang  into  existence  in  Switzerland.  But  the  real  develop- 
ment of  this  work  began  with  Hans  Knudsen  (1813-1886),  a 
Danish  Lutheran  pastor,  who,  in  1872,  organized  a  society  at 
Copenhagen  for  the  care  of  lame  and  crippled  children. 
In  the  first  twenty-five  years  of  its  existence  this  society 
relieved  the  needs  of  over  6000.  It  conducts  a  clinic  and  an 
industrial  school,  and  maintains  an  asylum  for  cripples. 
From  Copenhagen  the  work  spread  to  Norway,  Sweden, 
Finland,  England,  Germany,  and  the  United  States. 

Of  the  40  institutions  of  this  character  in  Germany,  most 
of  which  are  under  Inner  Mission  auspices,  the  "  Oberlinhaus  " 
at  Nowawes,  near  Potsdam,  founded  in  1886,  and  the 
"  Samariterhaus  "  at  Cracau,  near  Magdeburg,  founded  hi 
1892,  are  probably  best  known.  The  latter  is  said  to  be  the 
largest  home  for  cripples  in  the  world. 

The  design  of  all  these  institutions  is  to  give  the  children 
who  are  brought  to  them  the  very  best  orthopaedic  treatment, 
and  such  intellectual  and  industrial  training  as  will  enable 
improvable  cases  to  become  at  least  measurably  self-support- 
ing. 

Among  the  comparatively  few  institutions  of  this  kind  in 
the  United  States  the  splendid  Widener  Memorial  Industrial 
Home  for  Crippled  Children  in  Philadelphia,  opened  in  1906, 
is  especially  noteworthy.  The  Good  Shepherd  Home  for 
Crippled  Orphans  at  Allen  town,  Pa.,  is  the  one  institution 
of  the  kind  in  the  Lutheran  Church  of  America. 

4.  The  Epileptic. — Perhaps  no  sufferers  deserve  so  much 
sympathy  as  those  afflicted  with  that  mysterious  disease  known 
as  epilepsy.  The  epileptic  is  always  in  suspense.  He  is  con- 
stantly haunted  by  the  fear  of  a  seizure  in  public.  If  his 
infirmity  becomes  known  he  is  shunned.  It  excludes  him 
from  school  and  church,  from  workshop,  office,  and  society. 
No  one  will  have  him;  and  when  the  seizures  become  so 
frequent  and  violent  that  even  his  own  family  can  hardly 
continue  to  care  for  him,  whither  shall  he  go?  The  malady, 
moreover,  is  incurable;  and  unless  the  sufferer  is  mercifully 


198  FORMS   OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

relieved  by  an  early  death,  his  nervous  irritability  increases, 
his  mind  by  degrees  becomes  clouded,  and  not  infrequently 
he  reaches  a  state  of  partial  or  complete  idiocy. 

Until  the  epileptic  becomes  imbecile  or  dangerous  he  is  not 
a  subject  for  an  insane  asylum;  nor  should  he  at  any  time 
be  consigned  to  an  almshouse.  To  make  life  endurable  for 
him  three  things  are  essential:  industry  suited  to  his  ability; 
an  inviting  home  in  the  company  of  those  similarly  afflicted 
who  will  not  regard  him  as  an  object  to  be  avoided;  and, 
above  all,  the  comforts  of  the  Christian  religion.  These 
essentials  are  best  provided  in  an  institution  that  is  the  direct 
outgrowth  of  intelligent  Christian  charity,  and  is  conducted 
not  chiefly  along  medical  lines  (for  medicine  can  do  little  or 
nothing  for  the  epileptic),  but  as  a  place  in  which  pastoral 
care  and  the  patient  ministrations  of  Christian  love  take 
precedence.  It  was  von  Bodelschwingh  who  characterized 
the  properly  conducted  epileptic  institution  as  "  the  quiet 
working-place  in  which  the  epileptic  can  still  employ  his 
waning  powers  in  a  useful  way,  and  prepare  himself  in  peace 
for  his  heavenly  home." 

To  Pastor  von  Bodelschwingh  belongs  the  credit  of  having 
given  the  work  for  and  among  these  unfortunates  its  first 
powerful  impulse.  Called  in  1873  to  the  little  home  at 
Bielefeld,  established  in  1867,  he  there  introduced  the  cottage 
and  family  system  as  the  number  of  patients  increased,  made 
provision  for  suitable  industries,  began  to  train  deacons  and 
deaconesses  for  the  work,  and  developed  "  a  colony  of  mercy  " 
that  has  become  the  wonder  and  admiration  of  the  world. 
Here  over  2000  sufferers  now  have  their  quiet  home,  minis- 
tered to  in  body  and  soul  as  only  those  can  minister 
whose  hearts  are  filled  with  sincerest  love  to  their  Lord  and 
His  needy  brethren. 

Including  Bielefeld  there  are  now  nine  private  institutions 
for  epileptics  in  evangelical  Germany.  The  largest  next  to 
Bielefeld  are  found  at  Rastenburg  in  East  Prussia  and  at 
Stetten  in  Wlirttemberg.  It  was  at  the  latter  place  that  the 
care  of  epileptics  as  a  separate  branch  of  German  Inner 


CARE   OF   THE   SICK  AND  THE  DEFECTIVE  199 

Mission  work  was  first  begun  in  the  year  1866.  Epileptics 
who  are  feeble-minded  are  also  received  into  institutions  for 
the  latter;  and  those  who  have  become  so  violent  as  to  be 
dangerous  are  in  large  numbers  taken  by  the  asylums  for  the 
idiotic  and  insane. 

Only  at  a  few  places  in  the  United  States  have  the  begin- 
nings been  made  for  the  separate  care  of  epileptics.  Ohio 
took  the  lead  by  establishing  its  Hospital  for  Epileptics  at 
Gallipolis  in  1891.  This  was  followed  by  the  Craig  Colony 
at  Sonyea,  Livingston  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  1896,  and  the  Village 
for  Epileptics  at  Skillman,  N.  J.,  in  1898.  These  are  State 
institutions.  There  are  small  private  institutions  in  Massa- 
chusetts, Pennsylvania,  and  Maryland.  Possibly  the  nearest 
approach  to  the  Bielefeld  idea  is  found  in  the  Passavant 
Memorial  Homes  at  Rochester,  Pa.,  begun  in  1895,  and  in 
charge  of  a  Lutheran  pastor  and  Lutheran  deaconesses. 

For  further  information  concerning  this  subject  and  the 
various  other  operations  carried  on  at  Bielefeld  the  reader  is 
referred  to  Julie  Sutter's  fascinating  book  entitled  "  A 
Colony  of  Mercy;  or,  Social  Christianity  at  Work." 

5.  The  Idiotic  and  Insane. — "  Idiocy  is  a  defect  of  mind 
which  is  either  congenital  or  due  to  causes  operating  during 
the  first  years  of  life,  before  there  has  been  a  development  of 
the  mental  faculties,  and  may  exist  in  different  degrees." J 
The  great  majority  of  idiots  are  the  offspring  of  parents  of 
low  vitality  and  mentality,  or  who  were  blood  relatives,  or 
who  were  given  to  intemperance  and  sexual  excesses.  So- 
called  accidental  idiocy  may  result  from  diseases  and  in- 
juries in  childhood  affecting  the  brain  and  spinal  cord,  and 
often  follows  epilepsy. 

There  are  many  degrees  of  idiocy,  varying  "  from  the  child 
that  is  simply  dull  and  incapable  of  profiting  by  the  ordinary 
school  to  the  gelatinous  mass  that  simply  eats  and  lives."2 
When  mental  imbecility  accompanies  physical  deformity  it  is 
called  cretinism. 

1  MAUDSLEY:  Responsibility  in  Mental  Diseases.     Ch.  3,  p.  66. 

2  On  this  whole  subject  see  WARNER:  American  Charities.     Ch.  xii. 


200  FORMS   OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

The  first  to  interest  himself  seriously  in  the  idiotic  was  the 
Swiss  physician,  Dr.  Louis  Guggenbuhl  (1816-1863),  wno 
in  1836  founded  an  institution  for  such  unfortunates  near 
Interlacken.  Though  this  at  first  met  with  considerable 
encouragement  and  support,  it  soon  became  evident  that 
idiocy  was  an  incurable  malady,  and  that  for  those  thus 
afflicted  least  of  all  could  be  done  by  medical  means.  Gug- 
genbiihl's  institution,  therefore,  had  a  comparatively  brief 
existence;  but,  if  it  failed  to  accomplish  anything  else,  it 
served  to  direct  attention  to  a  class  for  whose  relief  nothing 
had  hitherto  been  done. 

About  the  same  time  a  French  physician,  Dr.  Edouard 
Seguin  (1812-1880),  opened  a  school  in  Paris  (1838)  for  the 
training  and  instruction  of  idiots.  So  excellent  were  his 
methods  and  their  results  that  he  has  come  to  be  regarded 
as  the  founder  of  the  modern  system  of  dealing  with  imbeciles. 
It  was  Dr.  Seguin  who  first  fully  demonstrated  that  the  feeble- 
minded are  responsive  only  to  patient  training  and  not  to 
medical  treatment.  According  to  his  method  "  each  bodily 
organ  is  to  be  perseveringly  taught  to  perform  the  normal 
functions  in  which  it  is  deficient  by  mechanical  contrivances, 
by  imitation,  by  object-lessons,  and  by  music  or  other  appro- 
priate sounds.  On  this  basis  is  superimposed  training  in 
moral  and  social  duties  as  the  pupil  becomes  susceptible  to 
it."1  This  is  the  system  now  followed  in  Europe  and 
America. 

In  Germany  it  was  Pastor  Julius  Disselhoff ,  of  the  Kaisers- 
werth  Deaconess  House,  who  first  awakened  a  general  interest 
in  behalf  of  the  idiotic,  though  in  several  places  some  slight 
provision  had  already  been  made  for  such.  The  publication 
in  1857  of  his  treatise  on  the  subject  led  to  the  establishment 
of  nearly  all  the  46  institutions  for  the  feeble-minded  and 
idiotic  found  on  German  soil  to-day,  most  of  which  are  dis- 
tinctively Inner  Mission  undertakings,  supported  by  volun- 
tary contributions.  Including  those  established  and  main- 
tained by  the  State,  as  well  as  the  public  and  private  institu- 

1  Encyclopaedia  Britannica,  Stoddart  ed.     Vol.  xxi,  p.  916. 


KENSINGTON  DISPENSARY,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


PASSAVANT  HOMES  FOR  EPILEPTICS,  ROCHESTER,  PA. 


CARE   OF   THE    SICK   AND   THE   DEFECTIVE  2OI 

tions  designed  exclusively  or  in  part  for  epileptics,  it  is  said 
that  considerably  more  than  one  hundred  minister  to  this 
class  of  sufferers. 

Even  under  the  best  training  a  really  idiotic  child  never 
becomes  entirely  normal,  though  the  milder  cases  of  feeble- 
mindedness can  often  be  much  improved.  The  aim  to  be  kept 
in  view  in  dealing  with  these  unfortunates  is  to  make  their 
existence  more  tolerable.  Careful  attention  must  be  given  to 
hygiene  and  the  building  up  of  the  physical  constitution  by 
means  of  nourishing  diet,  baths,  exercise,  fresh  air,  out-door 
employment,  and  the  like.  To  this  must  be  added  such 
educational  influences,  patiently  applied,  as  will  tend  to 
bring  about  a  development  of  the  intellectual  and  spiritual 
life.  For  all  this  the  institution  is  needed;  and  that  institu- 
tion, moreover,  can  count  on  the  best  results  in  which  pastor, 
physician,  and  the  teaching  force  are  all  actuated  by  the  same 
Christian  motives,  and  whose  work  is  done  in  utmost  harmony. 
In  many  of  the  German  institutions  deacons  and  deaconesses 
are  employed  as  teachers  and  care-takers.  In  the  United 
States  similar  institutions,  nearly  all  of  which  are  under  State 
control,  take  very  high  rank. 

Insanity  is  the  term  employed  to  designate  mental  aberra- 
tion manifesting  itself  in  persons  with  brains  congenitally 
perfect.  It  is  due  to  a  variety  of  causes,  assumes  many 
forms,  and  is  often  curable.  There  was  a  time  when  the 
treatment  accorded  the  insane  was  inhuman  and  brutal. 
Not  more  than  a  century  ago  the  unhappy  inmates  of  so- 
called  mad-houses  "  were  immured  in  cells,  chained  to  the 
walls,  flogged,  starved,  and  not  infrequently  killed";1  nor  are 
conditions  to-day  very  much  better  in  some  almshouses  to 
which  insane  persons  are  still  unfortunately  committed.2 

The  first  institution  especially  for  the  insane  was  St. 
Luke's  Hospital,  London,  opened  in  1751 ;  but  to  Dr.  Philippe 
Pinel  (1745-1826)  of  France,  and  Drs.  Robert  Gardiner  Hill 
(1811-1878)  and  John  Conolly  (1794-1867)  of  England, 

1  Encyclopaedia  Britannica,  Stoddart  ed.     Vol.  xiii,  p.  117. 

*  See  article  in  The  American  Magazine,  June,  1910,  pp.  214-222. 


202  FORMS   OF   INNER   MISSION   ACTIVITY 

belongs  the  credit  of  having  inaugurated  the  first  real  reforms 
in  the  treatment  of  the  insane.  They  did  away  with  all 
mechanical  restraint  and  introduced  the  so-called  non- 
restraint  system  now  practiced  in  all  well-conducted  insane 
asylums  with  happy  results. 

The  extensive  and  humane  provision  which  Christian 
lands  to-day  make  for  the  care  and  treatment  of  the  insane 
in  public  and  in  private  institutions  is  another  demonstration 
of  the  pervasive  and  enlightening  influence  of  the  Gospel. 
In  our  own  country,  besides  the  private  institutions,  practi- 
cally every  State  has  one  or  more  asylums  for  the  insane  poor. 
The  latter  are  largely  the  result  of  the  philanthropic  labors  of 
Dorothea  L.  Dix  (1805-1887),  who  about  1840  visited  every 
State  of  the  Union  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  sought 
to  impress  leading  citizens  and  legislatures  with  a  sense  of 
their  duty  towards  those  who  were  mentally  defective  and 
diseased. 

In  the  insane  asylum,  as  in  the  training-school  for  the  feeble- 
minded and  idiotic,  the  character  of  the  attendants  and  their 
moral  influence  over  their  charges  is  of  the  first  importance; 
and  it  is  especially  in  this  respect  that  the  Inner  Mission 
seeks  to  aid.  Besides  the  very  extensive  provision  which 
Germany  makes  for  the  insane  in  state  institutions,  there 
were  in  1899  nine  others  under  Inner  Mission  auspices.  The 
first  of  these  was  begun  by  Fliedner  at  Kaiserswerth  in  1852, 
the  second  by  von  Bodelschwingh  in  1889,  and  the  rest  were 
added  during  the  last  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
The  largest  of  these  is  "  Tannenhof,"  at  Luttringhausen,  in 
the  Rhine  Province,  opened  in  1896,  and  having  to-day  up- 
wards of  five  hundred  patients.  In  all  these  deacons  and 
deaconesses  are  at  work. 

6.  The  Enfeebled  and  Convalescent. — The  exhausting  de- 
mands made  upon  human  energy  by  modern  industry,  and 
the  felt  need  of  a  place  to  which  hospitals  and  physicians  can 
send  patients  to  recuperate  after  sickness,  have  brought  into 
being  a  multitude  of  rest  and  convalescent  homes  in  Europe 
and  America.  Of  the  seventy  or  more  institutions  of  this 


CARE  OF   THE  SICK   AND  THE   DEFECTIVE  203 

kind  established  by  Inner  Mission  agencies  since  1852,  more 
than  one-half  are  served  by  deaconesses,  and  their  specifically 
Christian  character  is  made  manifest  by  the  fact  that  in 
nearly  all  of  them  daily  devotions  are  held.  Thus  they  con- 
tribute not  only  to  physical  but  also  to  spiritual  health. 
The  pioneer  in  this  kind  of  work  was  Pastor  Blumhard  of 
Wiirttemberg. 

7.  Invalid  Children. — The  Inner  Mission  also  has  a  special 
concern  for  invalid  children.  Work  in  behalf  of  these  was 
first  suggested  and  undertaken  by  the  Christian  physician, 
Dr.  August  Hermann  Werner,  of  Ludwigsburg,  who  opened 
an  establishment  for  this  class  of  sufferers  as  early  as  1854, 
and  another  in  1861.  By  1895  there  were  39  in  different 
parts  of  Germany.  In  1876  the  first  seashore  resort  for  sick 
children  was  opened.  Through  the  efforts  of  Dr.  Benecke, 
of  Marburg,  who  especially  recognized  the  curative  virtues 
of  sea-air  and  salt-water  baths  for  children  afflicted  with 
scrofula,  others  of  the  same  kind  speedily  came  into  existence. 
Of  the  several  classes  of  German  health  institutions  for  chil- 
dren, the  statistics  of  1899  showed  a  total  of  59.  A  few  of 
these  are  open  the  entire  year,  the  majority  only  during  the 
summer,  and  nearly  all  are  in  charge  of  deaconesses,  with  a 
physician  at  the  head. 

Extensive  provision  is  also  made  by  Inner  Mission  socie- 
ties and  institutions,  often  in  conjunction  with  associations 
of  a  merely  philanthropic  character,  for  giving  poor  and  feeble 
children  of  the  cities  a  brief  summer  vacation  in  the  country. 
The  first  attempts  of  this  kind  were  made  by  Pastor  Schoost 
in  Hamburg  and  Pastor  Bion  in  Zurich,  in  1876.  Since  then 
this  work  has  grown  to  large  proportions,  and,  like  the  work 
for  invalid  children,  finds  its  analogue  in  many  similar  under- 
takings in  America. 

c.  HOMES  FOR  THE  AGED  AND  INFIRM 

The  situation  of  the  aged  and  infirm  is  often  pitiful  in  the 
extreme.  Perhaps  they  are  left  alone  in  the  world,  or  the 


204  FORMS  OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

children  and  relatives  who  remain  cannot  or  will  not  care 
for  them.  Poor,  but  of  good  character,  decrepit  and  no 
longer  able  to  earn  a  living,  suffering  possibly  from  some  in- 
curable disease  that  will  etc  long  make  them  bed-ridden  and 
helpless  invalids,  whither  shall  they  go?  To  the  alms- 
house  to  become  the  wards  of  the  State,  when  they  have  been 
communicants  of  the  Church?  No;  for  such  Christian  love 
must  likewise  provide  a  place  in  which  they  can  spend  the 
evening  of  their  life  in  comfort,  receive  the  consolations  of 
the  Gospel,  and  prepare  themselves  in  peace  for  their  eternal 
rest.  Nor  has  Christian  love  neglected  this  duty.  The 
many  hundreds  of  permanent  homes  for  the  aged,  infirm, 
and  incurable,  Protestant  and  Catholic,  in  Europe  and 
America,  testify  as  few  other  things  do  that  Christian  love 
is  not  dead  in  the  world.  Thus  in  1904  there  were  in  the 
United  States  alone  457  private  and  236  ecclesiastical  insti- 
tutions mostly  for  the  class  of  needy  ones  now  under  consider- 
ation; while  in  1910,  1013  deaconesses  were  active  in  460 
similar  institutions  of  Germany. 

VII.  The  Conflict  with  Social  Ills 

Social  ills  are  in  part  due  to  social  mal-adjustments  which 
can  to  an  extent  be  corrected  by  legislation,  and  in  still 
greater  measure  to  the  wicked  ways  of  individuals  themselves. 
Much  of  the  social  unrest  of  to-day  can  no  doubt  be  traced 
to  the  feeling  that  certain  favored  classes  have  it  in  their 
power  to  exploit  those  less  favored;  that  these  classes  often 
use  this  power  for  their  own  aggrandizement;  and  that  in 
their  lust  for  gain  they  oppress  the  weak,  and  in  various 
ways  prevent  them  from  obtaining  an  equitable  share  of  the 
fruits  of  industry.  It  is  claimed,  and  not  without  reason, 
that  these  same  classes,  altogether  regardless  of  the  effect  on 
health,  family,  and  the  standard  of  living,  often  pay  the 
minimum  of  wages  for  the  maximum  of  work;  that  they  make 
no  distinction  between  week-days  and  Sundays;  that  they 
look  upon  their  employes  as  mere  machines;  that  they  dis- 


CONFLICT   WITH  SOCIAL  ILLS  205 

claim  all  liability  for  those  injured  and  killed;  and  that  they 
compel  even  wives  and  children  to  enter  the  ranks  of  wage- 
earners  in  order  to  make  up  the  family  expenses.  The 
feeling  of  injustice  thus  engendered  finds  expression,  on  the 
one  hand,  in  the  extravagant  statements  and  demands  of 
Socialism,  whose  most  radical  advocates,  in  order  to  bring 
about  a  new  social  order,  would  overthrow  the  Christian 
religion  itself;  and,  on  the  other,  in  the  more  rational  efforts 
of  those  philanthropists  who  would  regulate  wage  scales, 
working  hours,  child  labor,  labor  disputes,  factory  and  house 
inspection,  and  a  multitude  of  other  things  affecting  the  social 
order  by  judicious  legislation  and  arbitration. 

But  the  matter  is  not  altogether  one-sided.  Those  who 
are  often  foremost  in  making  the  outcry  against  the  more 
favored  may  be  equally  culpable,  only  in  another  way.  They 
may  make  demands  of  their  employers  that  are  utterly  un- 
reasonable and  indefensible;  they  may  want  the  maximum 
of  wages  for  the  minimum  of  labor,  even  in  times  of  depres- 
sion; they  may  render  service  with  an  envious  spirit  and  a 
hostile  mien;  they  may  have  extravagant  ideas,  and  may  even 
with  a  good  income  live  beyond  their  means  or  spend  much  of 
it  in  dissipation.  Thus  both  classes  are  guilty  of  wrong- 
doing, and  neither  can  charge  the  responsibility  for  social 
ills  exclusively  upon  the  other. 

In  the  last  analysis  the  primary  source  of  social  ills  is  in 
the  sinful  human  heart,  whether  that  heart  beat  in  the  breast 
of  the  more  highly  favored  or  in  that  of  the  less  favored. 
"  The  obvious  fact  is,  that  for  a  very  large  part  of  social  dis- 
order the  chief  responsibility  lies  in  the  passions  and  ambi- 
tions of  individual  men,  and  that  no  social  arrangement  can 
guarantee  social  welfare  unless  there  is  brought  home  to  vast 
numbers  of  individuals  a  profounder  sense  of  personal  sin. 
A  social  curse,  for  instance,  like  that  of  the  drink  habit  is 
legitimately  attacked  by  legislation  and  organization;  but 
these  external  remedies  will  be  applied  in  vain  if  there  is  any 
slackening  of  the  conviction  that  with  most  persons  drunken- 
ness is  not  a  misfortune  for  which  society  is  responsible,  but 


206  FORMS  OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

a  sin  for  which  the  individual  is  responsible.  Or,  again,  the 
problem  of  charity  will  remain  an  ever-increasing  problem  of 
relief  and  alms  unless  there  is  included,  within  the  problem 
of  relief,  the  stirring  of  individual  capacity  to  do  without 
relief,  and  to  enlarge  the  range  of  initiative  and  self-respect. 
Or,  once  more,  the  problem  of  industry  will  open  into  no 
permanent  adjustment  between  capital  and  labor  so  long  as 
capitalists  are  rapacious  and  merciless,  and  laborers  are 
passionate  and  disloyal.  To  whatever  phase  of  the  social 
question  we  turn,  we  observe,  within  the  sphere  of  social 
arrangements,  the  interior  problem  of  the  redemption  of 
character.  Much  social  suffering  is  due  to  the  social  order; 
but  much,  and  probably  more,  is  due  to  human  sin." l 

And  what  must  be  the  attitude  of  the  Church  and  the 
Church's  ministry  towards  all  the  questions  pertaining  to 
the  social  welfare?  Shall  the  Church  stand  aloof,  and  her 
ministry  be  silent?  No;  but  both  must  be  careful  not  to 
lose  sight  of  their  proper  mission.  That  mission  is  primarily 
to  save  men  from  the  power  and  condemnation  of  sin  by 
bringing  them  into  captivity  to  the  Gospel  and  into  conscious 
union  with  Jesus  Christ.  Thus  only  can  individual  and  social 
righteousness  be  brought  about.  Social  betterment  must 
begin  with  the  units  which  compose  society;  and  only  in 
proportion  as  these  are  renewed,  spiritualized,  and  energized 
in  all  human  relations  to  do  the  will  of  God  will  social  ills 
disappear.  That  preacher  utterly  mistakes  his  calling  who  in 
his  pulpit  ministrations  is  first  a  sociologist  and  only  second- 
arily an  expounder  of  Divine  truth.2  Nevertheless,  he  must 
seek  to  keep  himself  informed  regarding  existing  conditions,  so 

iPEABODY:   Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question,  pp.  116,  117. 

8  "Many  a  Christian  preacher,  stirred  by  the  recognition  of  social  wrong, — 
and  not  infrequently  by  the  burning  message  of  Carlyle  or  of  Ruskin, — is  called 
to  be  a  prophetic  voice,  crying  in  the  wilderness  of  the  social  question;  but 
many  a  prophet  mistakes  his  office  for  that  of  the  economist,  and  gives  a  pas- 
sionate devotion  to  industrial  programmes  which  are  sure  to  fail.  Neither 
ethical  passion  nor  rhetorical  genius  equip  a  preacher  for  economic  judgments. 
It  is  for  the  prophet  of  righteousness  to  exhort  and  warn  rather  than  to  ad- 
minister and  organize.  A  different  temper  and  training  are  required  for 
wisdom  in  industrial  affairs." — PEABODY  :  Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question, 
PP-  35,  36. 


CONFLICT  WITH  SOCIAL  ILLS  207 

that  as  a  fearless  preacher  of  righteousness  he  may  call  social 
sinners  of  every  grade  and  class  to  repentance,  and  set  before 
them  the  teachings  of  Scripture  concerning  social  morality. 
The  mutual  duties  of  employers  and  employes,  the  steward- 
ship of  wealth,  the  responsibilities  and  obligations  of  those 
charged  with  public  and  private  trusts,  the  subordination  of 
selfish  interests  to  the  common  good,  honesty  in  business, 
proper  regard  for  the  welfare  of  others,  the  sanctity  of 
marriage  and  the  family,  the  sacredness  of  human  life — 
all  these  and  others  of  like  nature  are  themes  about  which 
the  Scriptures  have  much  to  say,  and  for  the  treatment  of 
which  preachers  in  those  churches  that  have  retained  the 
Gospels  and  Epistles  of  the  Christian  year  will  find  abundant 
opportunity.  As  Divine  truth  is  thus  again  and  again 
brought  home  to  the  hearts  of  the  hearers,  and  as  the  thought 
is  emphasized  that  there  can  be  neither  personal  nor  social 
righteousness  apart  from  Christ  and  His  teachings,  the 
Church,  faithful  to  her  primary  mission,  becomes  the  effective 
power  for  righteousness  in  the  life  of  the  nation.  Neverthe- 
less as  not  all  the  component  members  of  the  social  fabric 
are  thus  savingly  influenced,  many  ills  are  bound  to  remain, 
and  for  the  relief  of  these  Christian  charity  must  likewise 
find  ways  and  means.  And  to  some  of  these  let  us  now  turn 
our  attention. 


a.  THE  RELIEF  OF  PARISH  NEEDS 

The  comprehensive  German  term  employed  for  this  is 
Gemeindepflege,  i.  e.,  the  care  which  a  parish  as  such,  and  apart 
from  institutions,  gives  the  poor  and  sick,  the  forsaken  and 
neglected  within  its  bounds,  and  the  various  efforts  it 
makes  in  behalf  of  children.  In  its  present  form  Gemeinde- 
pflege is  administered  almost  exclusively  by  deaconesses; 
and  as  it  includes  practically  the  entire  range  of  benevolent 
labors  it  is  very  properly  called  "  the  heart  and  climax,  the 
flower  and  pearl  "  of  deaconess  activity. 

Gemeindepflege  had  its  beginning  in  the  Church  of  the  first 


2C>8  FORMS   OF   INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

century  (p.  36).  Phebe,  the  first  deaconess  of  whom  we  read, 
was  a  parish  deaconess  in  the  congregation  at  Cenchrea 
(Rom.  1 6  :  i).  Besides  the  deacons,  deaconesses  under  the 
direction  of  the  bishop  (presbyter)  were  active  in  the  churches 
far  beyond  the  time  of  Constantine.  Chrysostom,  bishop 
of  Constantinople  (397-407),  employed  40  deaconesses  in 
his  congregation.  During  the  Middle  Ages  this  form  of 
Christian  service  disappeared.  Efforts  to  revive  it  at  the 
time  of  the  Reformation  met  with  little  success,  as  the  persons 
properly  qualified  for  such  work  were  wanting.  Only  after 
the  restoration  of  the  female  diaconate  by  Fliedner  did  it 
again  become  possible.  Since  then  the  parish  diaconate  has 
been  extensively  introduced,  especially  in  the  large  cities, 
where  the  need  for  it  is  greatest.  Thus,  according  to  the  1910 
statistics  of  the  84  motherhouses  in  the  Kaiserswerth  Union, 
5486  sisters  were  then  employed  in  3454  congregations. 

Ideal  work  of  this  kind  in  a  city  parish  is  constituted  as 
follows: 

At  some  convenient  place  within  the  parish  a  central  sta- 
tion is  established.  Here  the  two  or  three  sisters  live  and 
keep  house,  assisted  when  necessary  by  a  girl  or  woman  of 
the  congregation.  From  here  they  go  out  to  their  work  and 
here  they  may  be  found  by  those  requiring  their  services. 
The  station  is  also  a  depot  of  supplies,  such  as  contributions 
of  clothing,  food,  bedding,  sick-room  requisites,  and  such 
other  articles  as  the  sisters  may  need  among  the  sick  and  poor. 
These  articles  should  come  from  the  well-to-do  members  of 
the  congregation,  and  in  soliciting  them  the  sisters  form 
the  connecting  link  between  the  rich  and  the  poor,  though 
without  thought  of  exempting  the  former  from  personally 
participating  in  the  work  whenever  practicable.  A  certain 
amount  of  money  should  likewise  at  all  times  be  at  the  dis- 
posal of  the  sisters  for  supplies  not  otherwise  furnished; 
and  of  their  receipts  and  expenditures  they  should  regularly 
render  account  to  the  proper  authorities. 

In  most  cases  the  major  part  of  the  work  is  among  the 
poor  and  sick.  Sickness  is  often  a  cause  as  well  as  a  result 


CONFLICT  WITH   SOCIAL  ILLS  2OQ 

of  poverty.  The  relief  of  both  must,  therefore,  go  hand 
in  hand,  but  care  must  be  taken  not  to  encourage  indolence 
and  dependence  when  the  emergency  is  past.  The  most 
useful  service  that  the  sister  can  then  render  is  to  seek  to 
bring  about  such  a  change  of  conditions  as  will  enable  her 
charges  to  win  their  own  bread.  If  by  reason  of  incurable 
disease  this  is  not  possible,  and  aid  can  no  longer  be  con- 
tinued, a  place  of  refuge  must  be  found  in  a  permanent  home. 

Another  important  branch  of  parish  work  by  sisters  is  the 
care  and  instruction  of  children  in  Christian  kindergartens 
and  the  Sunday  school.  Besides  the  benefit  this  brings  the 
children,  it  gives  the  sister  an  opportunity  to  learn  something 
about  the  homes  from  which  they  come,  and  often  enables 
her,  through  the  children,  to  win  her  way  to  the  hearts  and 
into  the  lives  of  parents.  Indeed,  a  city  congregation  whose 
church  is  located  among  the  poorer  classes  of  working  people 
can  engage  in  no  more  effective  form  of  missionary  service. 

In  addition  to  these  more  usual  forms  of  parish  work  there 
are  others  in  which  parish  sisters  may  engage  as  circumstances 
suggest  and  demand,  such  as  conducting  sewing  classes, 
directing  the  work  of  women's  and  girls'  societies,  finding 
proper  lodgings  for  unemployed  women  and  girls,  making  the 
necessary  arrangements  for  placing  neglected,  feeble-minded, 
blind,  and  deaf-mute  children  in  institutions,  following  up 
the  imperiled,  fallen,  and  imprisoned,  and  the  like.  Such 
work  will  of  necessity  bring  the  sister  into  contact  with  all 
sorts  of  conditions,  and  with  all  manner  of  persons — the 
rich  and  the  poor,  the  high  and  the  low,  officials  and  private 
citizens.  Hence  not  every  sister  is  fitted  for  parish  work. 
"  The  deaconesses  employed  in  a  parish  need  practi- 
cal wisdom  and  active  energy.  They  must,  with  com- 
mon sense,  circumspection  and  kindness,  discriminate  be- 
tween truth  and  falsehood,  distinguish  real  from  mistaken 
help,  be  able  to  act  with  readiness  and  yet  with  forethought, 
and  be  prepared  to  face  the  deepest  misery,  the  most  pitiable 
depravity.  They  must  be  equally  at  home  in  the  kitchen,  at 
the  wash-tub,  by  the  sick-bed,  and  in  the  manager's  offices. 


210  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

They  must  procure  assistance  where  their  own  strength  is 
not  sufficient,  as  for  instance,  in  night-watching,  but  must  at 
all  times  themselves  set  the  example.  They  see  much  sorrow, 
wretchedness,  and  danger.  They  dare  not  despond  with  the 
faint-hearted  nor  become  excited  with  the  restless,  and  yet 
they  must  be  able  to  weep  with  them  that  weep  and  rejoice 
with  them  that  do  rejoice.  They  must  learn  to  ask  without 
being  importunate;  they  must,  with  ready  tact,  assist  the 
physician  and  adapt  themselves  to  difficult  situations  among 
rich  and  poor.  They  must  be  communicative  and  yet 
discreet;  motherly  toward  the  children,  the  poor,  and  the 
sick;  given  to  prayer,  and  be  able  without  obtrusiveness  and 
vanity  to  serve  souls  by  faithful  intercession  and  heartfelt 
words  of  comfort.  'Blessed  wonder-workers'  some  one  has 
called  them.  There  is  no  faculty  of  Christian  womanhood 
which  does  not  find  employment  in  this  work.  May  the 
Lord  grant  that  persons  be  found  in  increasing  numbers 
who  count  it  grace,  in  humility  and  faithfulness,  to  strive  to 
fulfil  this  office  so  necessary  and  so  precious."  * 

The  chief  purpose  of  the  parish  diaconate  is  to  aid  the 
poor,  though  a  sister  may  under  certain  circumstances  also 
do  private  nursing  in  the  homes  of  the  rich.  But  even  when 
laboring  for  these  she  is  in  a  position  to  benefit  the  poor;  for 
it  is  the  wealthy  who  must  fill  her  hands  with  gifts  for  the 
needy.  Nevertheless,  for  what  she  does  neither  she  nor  her 
motherhouse  will  accept  actual  remuneration.  If  in  grati- 
tude for  service  rendered  the  rich  make  a  donation,  as  they 
should,  this  is  again  used  in  behalf  of  the  poor. 

Parish  deaconesses  should  be  under  the  general  direc- 
tion of  the  pastor,  who  should  regard  them  as  the  connecting 
link  between  himself  and  the  needy,  and  as  his  chief  assist- 
ants in  providing  for  their  physical  and  spiritual  relief. 
The  means  required  should  be  furnished  by  the  congrega- 
tion or  by  a  society  within  the  congregation. 

"  Such  parish  work,"  says  Wacker,  "  in  addition  to  its 

1  WACKER:  The  Deaconess  Calling.    Mary  J.  Drexel  Home,  Philadelphia, 

P.   120. 


CONFLICT   WITH   SOCIAL  ILLS  211 

spiritual  importance  and  its  immediate  benefit  as  an  evidence 
of  practical  Christianity,  contributes  largely  to  the  solution 
of  the  social  problem." 

b.  THE  CARE  or  THE  POOR 

In  its  broadest  aspects  the  care  of  the  poor  presents  many 
other  phases  not  touched  upon  in  the  preceding  section. 
Were  it  possible  to  have  in  every  community  an  ideal  parish 
system,  administered  by  trained  workers,  other  methods  of 
relieving  the  poor  would  be  reduced  to  a  minimum.  But 
this  is  manifestly  not  universally  practicable,  least  of  all  in 
American  communities,  with  their  denominational  differences 
and  overlapping  parish  boundaries;  nor  could  such  a  system 
provide  for  that  residuum  of  wrecked  humanity  that  will  have 
nothing  to  do  with  the  Church  except  as  it  can  exploit  her 
charity.  It  is,  however,  important  that,  in  order  to  obtain 
the  best  results,  there  should  be  a  proper  understanding  and 
cordial  cooperation  between  the  different  relief  agencies. 
"  Poor  relief  by  civil  authorities,  by  church  officers,  and  by 
free  associations  are  in  their  place  and  measure  justified; 
and  they  should  organically  work  together,"1 — the  Church 
by  her  teachings  furnishing  the  motive,  and  through  her  own 
labors  seeking  to  bring  spiritual  as  well  as  material  benefit  to 
those  aided;  and  the  civil  authorities  and  free  associations  in 
many  cases  supplying  the  means. 

In  spite  of  the  theories  of  some  modern  sociologists  poverty 
can  never  be  entirely  abolished,  even  though  such  beneficent 
improvements  are  brought  about  as  will  change  the  character 
of  the  social  fabric.  The  Lord's  statement  that  "  ye  have  the 
poor  always  with  you  "  will  remain  true  to  the  end  of  time. 
The  reasons  for  this  are  manifold.  However  much  may  be 
done  to  remove  some  of  the  social  and  economic  causes  of 
poverty,  other  causes — personal  and  general,  self-inflicted 
and  unpreventable — will  never  cease  to  operate.  Wars, 
failure  of  harvests,  industrial  depressions,  etc.,  will  continue 

i  Frankfort  Inner  Mission  Congress,  1854. 


212  FORMS   OF   INNER   MISSION   ACTIVITY 

to  bring  want  to  some;  drink,  immorality,  waste,  ineffi- 
ciency, and  indolence  to  others;  and  accident,  sickness, 
physical  defects,  and  old  age  to  a  still  further  number.  In 
the  end  much  poverty  has  its  root  in  human  sinfulness  and 
will,  therefore,  remain  to  trouble  the  world  until  sin  is  no  more. 

The  relief  of  the  poor,  which  in  the  Early  Church  was 
purely  individual  and  personal,  has  passed  through  many 
stages  of  deformation  and  reformation,  and  is  to-day  ad- 
ministered largely  by  the  State,  to  a  considerable  extent  by 
associations,  in  part  by  the  Church,  and  often  quite  indis- 
criminately by  individuals. 

Of  these  the  personal  or  individual  method,  were  it  still 
administered  as  in  the  Early  Church,  would  seem  to  be  the 
simplest  and  most  natural;  and  yet,  as  practiced  to-day,  this 
is,  of  all  methods,  the  worst.  Indiscriminately  to  hand  out 
nickels,  and  meals,  and  clothing  to  everyone  who  solicits 
alms  is  in  most  cases  to  help  to  manufacture  and  support 
tramps  and  hobos  and  other  parasites.  Giving  that  en- 
courages imposture  and  idleness,  and  that  leads  directly  to 
confirmed  pauperism  was  certainly  not  in  the  Lord's  mind 
when  He  said,  "  Give  to  him  that  asketh  thee";  but  under- 
stood in  the  light  of  other  passages  (e.  g.,  2  Thess.  3  : 10; 
i  John  3  :  17)  He  meant  to  teach  that  the  act  of  giving 
should  be  guided  by  combined  Christian  wisdom  and  love. 
When  circumstances  and  conditions  are  not  known,  and  a 
personal  investigation  cannot  be  made,  it  is,  therefore,  always 
a  safe  and,  indeed,  the  only  proper  course  to  refer  the  appli- 
cant to  some  organization  that  makes  it  its  business  to  ascer- 
tain these. 

State  relief  of  the  poor,  i.  e.,  through  institutions  or  agen- 
cies entirely  under  the  control  of  the  State,  county,  township, 
or  municipality,  is  the  exact  opposite  of  the  personal  or  indi- 
vidual method.  Aside  from  the  humanitarian  considera- 
tions involved,  and  the  further  fact  that  the  State  should 
have  a  concern  for  its  dependents  from  motives  of  self- 
preservation,  this  system  has  the  great  advantage  of  having 
the  necessary  financial  resources  regularly  provided.  But 


CONFLICT  WITH  SOCIAL  ILLS  213 

it  is  largely  impersonal  and  mechanical,  with  "  less  kindness 
on  the  part  of  the  giver,  and  less  gratitude  on  the  part  of  the 
receiver,"  encourages  the  indolent  and  shiftless  to  claim  the 
State's  relief  as  a  right,  has  little  or  no  moral  influence  over 
those  in  its  care,  and  in  our  own  land  is  in  special  danger  of 
being  administered  by  officials  who  owe  their  appointment 
to  partisan  politics  and  who  use  their  position  for  personal 
gain.  A  great  forward  step  will  be  taken  when  the  State 
will  furnish  the  means  for  such  institutions,  but  commit 
their  management  to  men  and  women  whose  Christian 
character  and  special  training  will  guarantee  their  proper 
administration. 

To  supply  the  State's  deficiencies  and  furnish  the  trained 
workers  would  seem  to  be  the  special  province  of  the  form  of 
poor  relief  usually  denominated  as  ecclesiastical.  Where 
such  trained  workers  as  deacons  and  deaconesses  are  avail- 
able, a  personnel  can  be  furnished  that  is  actuated  by  the 
loftiest  motives,  and  that  with  bread  for  the  body  also  seeks 
to  supply  the  bread  of  life.  But  whilst  the  Church  in  many 
cases  could  do  this,  lack  of  interest,  organization  and  means, 
and  utter  forgetfulness  of  the  Early  Church's  practice 
respecting  the  poor  often  stand  in  the  way  of  an  effective 
development  of  this  species  of  relief.  Yet  no  Christian  con- 
gregation should  ever  permit  one  of  its  own  members  to  be- 
come an  inmate  of  an  almshouse. 

In  the  large  cities  of  the  United  States  considerable  relief 
work  is  done  by  associations  specially  formed  for  this  purpose. 
Many  of  these  were  organized  more  than  half  a  century  ago 
under  the  title  of  "  Societie-s  for  the  Improvement  of  the 
Condition  of  the  Poor,"  and  had  the  highest  purposes  in 
view.  "  In  fact,  most  of  their  announced  objects  agree 
quite  closely  with  those  of  the  most  modern  societies.  It 
was  their  purpose  to  find  work  for  all  willing  to  do  it,  to  in- 
vestigate all  cases  thoroughly,  to  raise  the  needy  above  the 
need  of  relief,  and  incidentally  to  relieve  directly  such  want 
as  seemed  to  require  it.  But  as  these  Societies  for  the  Im- 
provement of  the  Condition  of  the  Poor  were  dispensers  of 


214  FORMS   OF  INNER   MISSION   ACTIVITY 

material  aid,  this  function,  as  Mr.  Kellogg  puts  it,  submerged 
all  others, '  arid  they  sank  into  the  sea  of  common  almsgiving.' 
Their  work  was  done  more  or  less  well;  but  there  is  a  general 
agreement  that  twenty  years  ago  (in  the  seventies)  private 
almsgiving  in  American  cities,  for  the  most  part  through 
organized  and  even  incorporated  societies,  was  profuse  and 
chaotic,  while  still  not  meeting  the  demands  made  upon  it. 
It  was  dispensed  in  tantalizing  doles  miserably  inadequate 
for  effectual  succor  where  the  need  was  genuine,  and  dealt 
out  broadcast  among  criminals  and  impudent  beggars."1 

To  bring  about  a  better  and  more  orderly  system  of  dis- 
pensing relief,  the  charity  organization  movement,  which  had 
its  origin  in  London  in  1868,  was  introduced,  and  the  first 
Charity  Organization  Society  established  in  Buffalo,  in 
December,  1877.  Since  then  such  societies  have  multiplied 
rapidly.  According  to  Dr.  Warner,  their  objects  and  methods 
are  the  following:  To  bring  about  the  cooperation  of  all 
charitable  agencies  in  a  given  locality,  and  the  best  co- 
ordination of  their  efforts,  and  thus  prevent  the  overlapping 
of  relief;  to  obtain  an  accurate  knowledge  of  all  cases  treated; 
to  find  prompt  and  adequate  relief  for  all  that  should  have  it ; 
to  expose  imposters  and  prevent  wilful  idleness;  to  find  work 
for  all  able  and  willing  to  do  anything;  through  volunteer 
visitors,  who  are  willing  to  go  to  the  poor  as  friends  and  not 
as  almsgivers,  to  establish  relations  of  personal  interest  and 
sympathy  between  the  poor  and  the  well-to-do;  to  prevent 
pauperism;  and,  finally,  to  collect  and  diffuse  knowledge  on 
all  subjects  connected  with  the  administration  of  charities. 
Thus  these  societies  serve  as  a  sort  of  clearing-house  for  the 
relief  agencies  of  a  city,  and  have  done  not  a  little  to  sys- 
tematize the  work. 

A  method  of  out-door  relief  that  has  met  with  great  suc- 
cess in  Germany  is  the  so-called  Elberfeld  system,  first  in- 
troduced in  the  city  from  which  it  derives  its  name  in  1852, 

1  WARNER:  American  Charities,  p.  376;  paraphrased  from  Charles  D. 
Kellogg's  paper  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  National  Conference  of  Charities 
and  Correction,  1893,  pp.  53,  54- 


AUGUSTANA  HOSPITAL,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 


CONFLICT   WITH   SOCIAL   ILLS 

by  Daniel  von  der  Heydt,  the  head  of  an  old-established 
banking  firm,  and  for  years  a  member  of  the  City  Council. 
Following  in  the  footsteps  of  Chalmers,  who  had  undertaken 
to  revive  the  congregational  or  parish  method  of  poor  relief 
in  Glasgow  (p.  62),  and  having  before  his  mind  Jethro's 
counsel  to  Moses,  Exodus  18:21:  "Thou  shalt  provide 
out  of  all  the  people  able  men,  such  as  fear  God,  men  of 
truth,  hating  covetousness,  ...  to  be  rulers  over  thousands, 
rulers  over  hundreds,  rulers  over  fifties,  and  rulers  over  tens," 
von  der  Heydt  introduced  a  communal  form  of  poor  relief, 
adapted  to  modern  conditions,  of  which  the  method  pro- 
posed by  Jethro  is  the  working  principle.  Under  this  sys- 
tem an  entire  city  is  divided  into  districts,  over  each  of  which 
is  set  an  Armenpfleger  or  helper.  These  districts  are  so  small 
that  a  helper  will,  as  a  rule,  have  no  more  than  four  cases  to 
look  after,  and  can,  therefore,  do  his  work  carefully  and  thor- 
oughly. A  certain  number  of  these  small  districts  again  form 
a  precinct,  presided  over  by  a  superintendent,  and  these 
superintendents  again  constitute  a  central  administrative 
board  for  the  entire  city.  All  the  helpers  in  each  precinct 
gather  fortnightly  as  a  local  board  to  report  on  the  needs  of 
their  districts  and  to  devise  the  best  means  of  relief  for  each 
case.  Each  helper  can  furnish  minute  information  regarding 
the  families  in  his  care.  "  He  knows  the  wage-earning  capacity 
of  each  member;  he  knows  what  they  have  been  earning,  and 
he  knows  any  reason  why  earnings  have  stopped.  He  finds 
out  the  character  of  the  people — whether  they  are  sober  or 
not,  industrious  or  not,  good  parents  or  not,  whether  they  are 
in  good  health  or  not.  In  fact,  these  helpers  are  something 
like  a  family  doctor  inquiring  into  everything  and  prescrib- 
ing accordingly.  Nor  is  it  even  now  merely  a  giving,  but 
every  effort  is  made  to  help  them  to  find  work;  to  encourage 
them  to  look  for  it;  to  recommend  them  to  employers  if 
possible ;  to  assist  them  to  new  means  of  work  if  old  channels 
have  failed.  All  this  is  done;  but  in  the  meantime — and 
this  is  the  grand  principle — no  man  shall  be  left  in  want. 
If  it  is  an  urgent  case,  the  helper  is  fully  empowered  to  give  the 


2l6  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

weekly  allowance  at  once  out  of  his  own  pocket,  being  re- 
paid at  the  next  helpers'  meeting;  but,  as  a  rule,  he  waits  to 
report  the  case  at  his  next  board  meeting,  having  in  the  mean- 
time made  all  due  researches." 1  The  allowance  to  be  granted 
is  decided  by  vote  of  the  board  on  recommendation  of  the 
helper,  but  holds  good  only  for  one  fortnight,  i.  e.,  until  the 
next  meeting  of  the  board.  Meanwhile  the  helper  continues 
his  visits,  takes  note  of  any  changes  for  the  better  or  worse, 
again  reports  the  case  to  the  board,  and  asks  for  such  action 
as  befits  the  case.  While  the  support  is  adequate  as  long  as 
actually  needed,  every  effort  is  made  to  induce  self-help  as 
speedily  as  possible. 

Under  the  Elberfeld  system  and  its  modifications  in  differ- 
ent cities  "a  city  recognizes  the  duty  of  looking  after  its 
own  people,  and  when  the  yearly  budget  is  fixed  for  civic 
expenditure,  they  fix  the  year's  poor  budget  as  a  part  of  it, 
guided  by  the  past  year's  requirements,  and  leaving  a  margin 
for  special  effort  in  time  of  special  need."2  It  is,  moreover,  a 
remarkable  feature  of  this  system  that  for  its  administra- 
tion it  never  lacks  men.  Citizens  of  every  rank,  from  trades- 
men to  bankers,  merchants,  professors,  lawyers,  and  doctors, 
esteem  it  an  honor  thus  to  serve  their  city  and  community. 

For  a  very  intelligent  discussion  of  this  whole  complex 
subject,  upon  which  there  seems  to  be  no  general  agreement, 
the  reader  is  referred  to  Warner's  "  American  Charities," 
Thomas  Y.  Crowell  &  Co.,  New  York,  1894. 

c.  LABOR  COLONIES  AND  RELIEF  STATIONS 

Labor  colonies  originated  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  von  Bodel- 
schwingh.  It  was  in  the  winter  of  1881,  after  a  period  of 
industrial  depression,  that  day  after  day  hungry  men  applied 
at  the  various  cottages  of  the  Bielefeld  colony  for  something 
to  eat.  They  belonged  to  the  army  of  200,000  unemployed 
who  were  then  roving  over  Germany,  and  who  threatened  to 
become  a  serious  menace  to  the  nation.  At  first  all  who 

1  SUITER:   Cities  and  Citizens,  pp.  32,  33.  *Ibid.t  p.  25. 


CONFLICT  WITH  SOCIAL  ILLS  217 

came  were  fed.  But  by  degrees  it  was  discovered  that  the 
same  men  would  return  again  and  again,  and  that  probably 
a  very  considerable  number  were  quite  unwilling  to  work  even 
if  they  could.  It  was  then  that  von  Bodelschwingh  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  the  first  labor  colony,  based  on  the  Pauline 
principle  that  if  any  will  not  work,  neither  should  he  eat 
(2  Thess.  3  :  10).  In  other  words,  von  Bodelschwingh  de- 
termined that  only  those  should  be  fed,  clothed,  and  housed 
by  him  who  were  disposed  to  do  honest  work  in  return. 
These  he  would  seek  to  put  on  their  feet  again,  leaving  pro- 
fessional vagrants  to  be  dealt  with  by  the  civil  authorities. 

About  ten  miles  from  Bielefeld,  on  the  western  slope  of 
the  Teutoburger  Forest,  lies  an  unproductive,  sandy  plain, 
some  thirty  miles  long  and  ten  broad.  At  the  depth  of  a  few 
feet  this  is  underlaid  by  a  species  of  bog  iron  ore,  which 
neither  roots  nor  moisture  can  penetrate,  but  which,  when 
brought  to  the  surface,  speedily  disintegrates  and  becomes  a 
natural  fertilizer,  turning  the  sandy  waste  into  fruitful  soil. 
Here  was  work  for  the  unemployed  who  were  still  willing. 
Von  Bodelschwingh  laid  his  well-matured  plans  before  the 
officials  and  leading  citizens  of  Westphalia,  obtained  a  loan 
of  money  from  the  province,  bought  a  section  of  the  plain, 
provided  the  necessary  buildings,  put  a  company  of  farm 
laborers  from  Bielefeld  with  a  brother  as  housefather  in  charge, 
and  on  the  iyth  of  August,  1882,  opened  the  first  labor  colony 
in  the  world,  under  the  protectorate  of  the  Crown  Prince 
Frederick  William,  naming  it  "  Wilhelmsdorf,"  after  the  aged 
Emperor,  who  had  become  interested  hi  the  project.  So 
successful  did  this  first  colony  prove  that  others  speedily 
sprang  into  existence.  To-day  there  are  36  in  Germany 
(5  of  these  Roman  Catholic),  into  which  over  200,000  men 
have  been  received  since  1882;  and  from  Germany  the  move- 
ment has  spread  into  other  countries,  including  our  own. 

Labor  colonies  of  the  Wilhelmsdorf  type  are  the  creations 
of  Christian  love.  Then:  purpose  is  through  industry  and 
Christian  influences  to  save  men  from  becoming  confirmed 
vagabonds.  They  serve  at  the  same  time  to  distinguish 


2l8  FORMS   OF  INNER   MISSION  ACTIVITY 

and  separate  the  unfortunate  from  the  good-for-nothing, 
and  are,  as  far  as  possible,  helpful  to  the  former  in  securing 
places  of  steady  and  profitable  employment.  After  the  man- 
ner of  Wilhelmsdorf  most  of  the  colonies  are  located  on 
waste  land  that  can  be  made  productive  by  irrigation, 
fertilization,  etc.,  and  hence  provide  work  almost  the  entire 
year.  Where  necessary  indoor  industries  are  also  intro- 
duced. The  support  is  derived  from  free-will  offerings, 
public  subventions,  and  the  labor  of  the  colonists.  The 
external — i.  e.,  business — interests  of  a  colony  are  committed 
to  a  board,  while  its  internal  management  is  entrusted  to  a 
housefather  and  his  associates,  who  usually  come  from  a 
Diakonenhaus.  These  must  be  men  of  decided  Christian 
character,  and  possess  a  large  measure  of  discretion,  firmness, 
and  practical  wisdom.  The  colonies  receive  "  all  men,  of 
whatever  religion  or  rank,  who  are  able  and  willing  to  work." 
While  the  rules  are  strict,  they  are  kindly  administered;  and 
only  repeated  insubordination  subjects  one  to  dismissal. 
The  duration  of  a  man's  stay  at  the  colony  is  voluntary,  but 
cannot  exceed  one  year  and  eleven  months.  A  stay  of  over 
two  years  would,  under  the  law,  permit  him  to  claim  it  as  his 
permanent  home.  He  may,  however,  return  after  a  first 
stay. 

The  labor  colonies  have  a  bond  of  union  in  their  Central 
Committee  composed  of  representatives  of  the  several  colo- 
nies. This  committee,  with  headquarters  in  Berlin,  meets 
regularly  for  investigation,  consultation,  and  the  exchange 
of  experiences  and  ideas.  It  issues  a  monthly  called  Der 
Wanderer,  and  publishes  detailed  reports  of  the  work. 

Closely  affiliated  with  the  labor  colonies  are  the  so-called 
Naturalverpflegungsstationen,  or  relief  stations.  These  are 
found  all  over  Germany,  a  half  a  day's  march  apart.  Their 
purpose  is  to  prevent  house-to-house  begging.  At  the  first 
station  entered  the  wanderer  is  given  a  Wander schein,  a 
small  blank-book  ruled  off  into  squares,  into  the  first  square 
of  which  the  said  station  enters  its  stamped  signature  and 
the  date.  "  The  second  square  must  be  filled  by  the  next 


CONFLICT  WITH   SOCIAL  ILLS  219 

station  in  the  order  of  the  road,  and  so  forth;  and  if  your 
tramp  turns  aside  from  his  appointed,  indeed,  self-appointed, 
way,  the  next  station  will  not  receive  him — this  is  his  dis- 
cipline ;  and  if  he  arrives  at  the  last  stage  as  unhelped  as  when 
he  started,  that  is,  without  having  found  regular  employ- 
ment (every  station  being  a  labor  agency),  he  is  likely  to  be 
a  man  who  will  not  work,  and  the  house  of  correction  may 
receive  him  in  the  end.  For  at  the  stations  any  employer 
of  the  district  makes  known  his  want  of  hands,  and  a  man  who 
can  and  will  work  need  not  tramp  for  ever.  The  Wander- 
schein,  also,  is  valid  for  two  or  three  months  only,  after  which 
it  has  to  be  renewed;  and  it  would  not  be  renewed  without 
inquiring  into  a  prolonged  want  of  employment.  The 
inveterate  out-of-work  is  thus  brought  to  book."  *  Besides 
being  a  labor  agency,  each  relief  station  requires  those  who 
come  to  do  a  half  day's  work,  usually  wood-chopping,  some- 
times stone-breaking.  A  man  arrives  from  the  previous 
station  at  noon,  gets  his  dinner,  works  during  the  afternoon, 
has  supper  and  a  social  evening,  a  decent  bed  in  the  dormitory, 
and  next  morning  after  breakfast  is  obliged  to  start  for  the 
next  station,  half  a  day's  tramp  away.  Only  over  Sunday 
can  he  remain  two  nights  at  a  station,  without  work  on 
Sunday,  of  course. 

The  support  of  these  stations  comes  in  part  from  the  labor 
done  and  in  part  from  the  province.  When  well  conducted 
and  in  connection  with  the  labor  colonies,  they  serve  to  save 
many  a  man  from  a  worse  fate,  and  have  helped  greatly  to 
reduce  professional  vagrancy. 

What  the  labor  colonies  are  designed  to  be  for  men,  the 
Frauenheime  are  meant  to  be  for  homeless,  moneyless,  and 
friendless  women.  These  homes  or  refuges,  of  which  there 
were  14  in  1904,  owe  their  origin  to  Pastor  Heinersdorf, 
prison  chaplain  at  Elberfeld.  One  evening  a  woman  who  had 
served  several  terms,  and  whose  dire  need  had  for  a  time  led 
her  to  prostitution,  came  and  begged  him  "  for  Jesus'  sake  " 
to  help  her  to  a  respectable  life.  She  refused  to  go  to  a 

i  SUTTER:  A  Colony  of  Mercy,  p.  148. 


220  FORMS   OF   INNER   MISSION   ACTIVITY 

Magdalen  asylum  on  the  ground  that  she  must  earn  some- 
thing for  the  support  of  an  aged  mother.  To  find  work  as  a 
domestic  or  in  a  factory  she  must  have  decent  clothing  and 
good  references.  Would  he  not  aid  her  in  securing  a  position 
at  a  living  wage?  The  good  pastor  could  not  withstand  her 
pathetic  appeal;  he  found  a  place  for  her;  she  proved  a  most 
faithful  and  industrious  servant,  married,  and  became  a 
devoted  wife  and  mother.  When  other  unfortunates  con- 
tinued to  apply,  Heinersdorf  began  his  Elberfeld  Refuge 
in  1882,  at  first  in  rented  quarters,  but  since  1891  housed 
in  its  own  well-appointed  buildings,  as  a  labor  colony  for 
women. 

In  1884  Pastor  Isermeyer  began  a  similar  institution  at 
Hildesheim,  in  Hanover.  This  has  become  the  largest  and 
most  important  of  the  labor  colonies  for  women.  The  work 
in  all  of  them  consists  chiefly  in  washing,  ironing,  sewing,  and 
gardening,  for  which  each  inmate,  according  to  her  industry 
and  behavior,  is  weekly  credited  with  a  money  allowance 
over  and  above  her  support.  When  this  reaches  ten  marks 
it  becomes  a  savings  bank  account.  Absolute  freedom  in 
coming  and  going,  individual  treatment,  and  (as  over  against 
the  necessarily  opposite  method  of  the  Magdalen  asylums) 
as  much  freedom  of  movement  within  the  colony  as  is  con- 
sistent with  good  order — these  are  the  fundamental  principles 
introduced  by  Isermeyer,  and  that  are  still  followed  in  the 
various  institutions.  The  results  have  in  many  cases  been 
very  satisfactory. 

Probably  to  this  manner  of  dealing  with  the  unemployed, 
combined  with  the  efficient  Elberfeld  system  of  poor  relief, 
is  due  the  fact  stated  by  the  British  Fortnightly  Review  that 
less  than  30,000  people  are  maintained  in  institutions  for 
the  poor  in  Germany,  while  in  British  workhouses  there  are 
between  300,000  and  400,000  paupers. 


CONFLICT  WITH  SOCIAL  ILLS  221 

d.  THE  RELIEF  OF  NEEDS  OCCASIONED  BY  WAR  AND 
PESTILENCE 

The  extraordinary  needs  resulting  from  war  and  pestilence 
have  also  claimed  the  attention  of  Inner  Mission  workers. 
Harrowing  details  are  given  of  the  sufferings  of  the  wounded 
during  the  German  wars  of  liberation  at  the  beginning  of  the 
last  century.  Thus  we  are  told  that  eight  days  after  the  battle 
of  Leipzig  (1813)  2000  sick  and  wounded  were  still  without 
a  shirt,  bed,  mattress,  or  cover.  During  the  Crimean  War 
(1854)  decided  improvements  were  introduced  by  Florence 
Nightingale  and  her  staff  of  nurses.  But  it  was  the  Lombard 
campaign  of  1859  that  really  gave  birth  to  the  present-day 
system  of  caring  for  the  sick  and  wounded  in  times  of  war. 
The  Genevan  physician,  Henri  Dunant,  published  a  startling 
account  of  what  he  had  seen  in  two  military  hospitals  on  the 
field  of  Solferino.  The  agitation  which  he  started  resulted  in 
an  international  conference  at  Geneva,  at  which  an  agreement 
was  drawn  up  (the  so-called  Geneva  Convention)  and  signed 
August  22,  1864,  providing  for  the  neutrality  of  ambulances 
and  military  hospitals  as  long  as  they  contain  any  sick  and 
wounded,  and  designating,  in  addition  to  the  flag  of  their 
nation,  a  red  cross  on  a  white  field  as  the  distinctive  flag 
and  arm-badge  by  which  such  ambulances  and  hospitals, 
together  with  their  personnel,  should  be  known.  To  the 
movement  begun  at  Geneva  the  Red  Cross  Society  owes  its 
existence. 

It  was  in  the  wars  of  1864,  1866,  and  1870-71  that  deacon- 
esses and  deacons  gave  proof  of  their  eminent  qualifications 
as  nurses.  Especially  did  the  Franco-Prussian  War,  during 
which  no  less  than  764  deaconesses  were  at  work  in  225 
army  hospitals,  help  to  direct  attention  to  the  diaconate  and 
bring  it  into  popular  favor.  But  during  the  Schleswig- 
Holstein  War,  in  which  Roman  Catholic  Sisters  of  Charity  and 
others  were  likewise  active  as  nurses,  it  already  became  evi- 
dent that  for  the  highest  efficiency  the  service  had  to  be 
organized,  systematized,  and  directed.  By  degrees  and  in 


222  FORMS  OF  INNER   MISSION  ACTIVITY 

various  ways  this  was  brought  about.  To-day  the  Associa- 
tion of  Volunteer  War  Nurses — a  continuation  of  Wichern's 
military  diaconate  (p.  68) — and  the  Knights  of  St.  John 
make  it  their  business  in  times  of  peace  to  prepare  and  hold 
nurses  in  readiness,  in  order  to  be  able  to  offer  them  for 
service  to  the  Central  Committee  of  the  Red  Cross  Society 
when  war  breaks  out.  The  Knights  of  St.  John  have  ar- 
rangements for  this  purpose  with  various  deaconess  houses, 
and  the  Association  offers  special  courses  of  instruction  to 
aspirants. 

The  forces  thus  trained  are  also  always  ready  for  service 
where  pestilence  rages.  Schafer  mentions  no  less  than  ten 
great  epidemics  of  typhoid  fever,  small-pox,  and  cholera 
in  different  cities  and  provinces  of  Germany,  during  the 
prevalence  of  which  deacons  and  deaconesses  from  various 
houses  rendered  most  efficient  aid. 

e.  MISCELLANEOUS 

Among  other  movements  recognized  and  fostered  by 
the  German  Inner  Mission  are  the  following: 

1.  Evangelical  Workingmen's  Societies. — Of  these  there  are 
upwards  of  700  with  over  125,000  members.     Their  primary 
object  is  the  application  of  the  world-renewing  powers  of 
Christianity  to  present-day  industrial  conditions,  and  their 
reconstruction  in  accordance  with  the  ethical  ideas  contained 
in  and  derived  from  the  Gospel — a  program  far   different 
from  that  of  the  so-called  labor  unions,  and  the  only  one  that 
furnishes  a  sound  basis  for  bringing  about  right  relations  be- 
tween capital  and  labor. 

2.  Efforts  for  the  Improvement  of  Housing  Conditions. — 
The  worst  conditions  respecting  homes  are  usually  found  in 
rapidly  growing  cities.     Building  operations  often  do  not 
keep  pace  with  the  increase  of  population,  unsanitary  tene- 
ments are  erected  which  soon  become  overcrowded,  landlords 
•ask  exorbitant  rents,  families  are  obliged  to  double-up  or 
take  lodgers,  and  some  must  even  seek  refuge  in  cellar  rooms 


rr  rw  nr  nr 

nr  nr  rw  rr 


n§!  nr 

rr  rm  rr 
nr  rr 


CONFLICT  WITH  SOCIAL   ILLS  223 

below  the  level  of  the  street.1  All  the  large  cities,  of  Europe 
and  America,  together  with  many  smaller  ones,  reveal  con- 
ditions like  these.  Hence,  for  their  own  people,  German 
Inner  Mission  workers,  mindful  of  the  fact  that  the  well- 
conducted  normal  home,  with  plenty  of  room,  air,  sunlight, 
and  privacy,  is  not  only  most  conducive  to  physical  well- 
being,  but,  next  to  the  Church,  also  the  most  potent  conserva- 
tor of  morals,  give  all  the  encouragement  possible  to  the 
various  enterprises  that  promise  to  bring  the  needed  relief, 
especially  to  building  associations. 

3.  The  Promotion  of  Sunday  Rest  and  Observance. — The 
keeping  of  one  day  out  of  seven  as  a  day  of  rest  is  not  only  a 
Divine  requirement,  but  an  absolute   necessity.     Uninter- 
rupted labor  soon  drains  body  and  mind,  unfits  one  for  really 
efficient  service,  and  deprives  fathers  of  fellowship  with  their 
families.    But  Sunday  rest  is  also  necessary  for  spiritual 
reasons.      Without  it  there  can  be  no  proper  observance  of 
the  day  in  the  sense  of  Luther's  explanation  of  the  Third 
Commandment:  "  We  should  so  fear  and  love  God  as  not 
to  despise  His  Word  and  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  but 
deem  it  holy,  and  willingly  hear  and  learn  it."     Hence,  in 
view  of  great  abuses,  this  subject  has  regularly  found  a 
place  on  the  programs  of  Inner  Mission  societies  ever  since 
the  first  Inner  Mission  Congress  of  1849. 

4.  The  Encouragement  of  Thrift. — In  addition  to  the  public 
savings  banks,  there  are  throughout  Germany  about  5000 
penny  and  school  savings  funds  which  offer  facilities  for 

i  Of  such  inhabited  cellar  rooms  Greater  New  York  is  said  to  have  25,000. 
According  to  th  e  State  Tenement  House  Commissioner's  report  of  1903, 2,372,079 
persons,  or  two-thirds  of  New  York's  population,  were  then  living  1^82,652 
tenements.  In  these  tenement  houses  were  found  350,000  dark  interior 
rooms,  whose  only  light  and  ventilation  came  from  a  so-called  "air-shaft," 
about  28  inches  wide,  50  or  60  feet  long,  and  as  high  as  the  building  of  five  or 
six  stories.  Said  air-shaft,  the  report  further  states,  is  often  used  by  the  tenants 
"as  a  receptacle  for  garbage  and  all  sorts  of  refuse  and  indescribable  filth 
thrown  out  of  the  windows,  and  this  mass  of  filth  is  often  allowed  to  remain 
rotting  at  the  bottom  of  the  shaft  for  weeks  without  being  cleaned  put."  In 
London  over  2,250,000  people  are  said  to  live  singly  or  in  companies  in  a  single 
room — "sleeping,  cooking,  eating,  bathing,  if  at  all,  within  the  same  four 
walls."  Conditions  in  sections  of  Berlin  and  other  German  cities  are  not 
much  better. 


224  FORMS   OF   INNER   MISSION  ACTIVITY 

depositing  small  amounts.  Most  of  these  have  been  es- 
tablished by  pastors,  teachers,  and  school  authorities,  and 
are  managed  entirely  by  voluntary  agency.  Interest  is 
allowed,  and  children  are  encouraged  not  to  withdraw  their 
deposits  until  they  can  take  them  out  as  a  lump  sum  at  their 
majority.  In  case  of  protracted  illness,  accident,  or  other 
emergency  requiring  the  use  of  the  money,  it  can  be  with- 
drawn at  any  time.  Meanwhile  the  system,  while  providing 
for  just  such  emergencies,  also  serves  to  teach  forethought 
and  economy. 

The  savings  and  loan  funds  introduced  by  Fr.  W.  Raiff- 
eisen  (1818-1888)  serve  a  somewhat  different  purpose. 
These  are  intended  for  the  small  farmer  and  tradesman  of 
limited  means.  Raiffeisen  had  learned  how  these  in  their 
extremity  often  became  the  victims  of  conscienceless  usurers. 
To  prevent  this,  and  to  help  all  worthy  and  struggling  ones 
to  come  to  something,  was  the  motive  that  stirred  Raiff- 
eisen to  action.  The  associations  originated  by  him  limit 
their  operations  to  a  small  territory.  They  receive  deposits 
and  make  loans  at  a  low  rate  of  interest;  place  all  surplus 
earnings  in  a  reserve  fund;  buy  and  distribute  farm  imple- 
ments and  other  necessaries  on  the  co-operative  plan;  pay 
a  small  salary  only  to  the  bookkeeper;  and  thus  literally 
fulfil  the  apostolic  injunction  to  bear  one  another's  burdens. 
On  July  i,  1906,  there  were  13,600  such  savings  and  loan 
funds  in  the  German  Empire,  with  deposits  amounting  to 
1050  million  marks.  So  carefully  have  the  beneficiaries  been 
chosen  and  so  skilfully  have  the  funds  been  managed  that 
not  one  of  the  associations  has  ever  become  bankrupt. 

f.  SETTLEMENTS 

Those  who  are  familiar  with  conditions  in  large  cities  well 
know  how  in  certain  localities  Jews  and  Gentiles,  Catholics 
and  Protestants,  believers  and  unbelievers,  representing 
among  themselves  divers  nationalities  and  tongues,  are  in- 
discriminately huddled  together  in  dense  masses;  how  entire 


CONFLICT  WITH  SOCIAL  ILLS  225 

families  are  often  obliged  to  live  in  a  single  room;  how  the 
children  of  these  sections  learn  to  know  enough  of  the  hard- 
ships of  the  factory  and  sweat-shop,  and  of  the  temptations 
and  vices  of  the  neighborhood,  but  nothing  of  the  pleasures 
and  joys  and  virtues  of  a  real  home ;  how  among  these  people 
there  is  often  a  degree  of  ignorance  and  poverty,  misery  and 
suffering  of  which  the  rest  and  better  part  of  society  knows 
nothing;  and  how,  under  existing  circumstances,  they  never 
even  have  the  opportunity  to  learn  the  art  of  decent  living. 

Among  the  agencies  which  the  social  awakening  of  recent 
years  has  set  in  motion  for  the  betterment  of  such  conditions 
is  the  Settlement.  A  Settlement  consists  primarily  of  a 
group  of  educated  men  and  women,  who  take  up  their  resi- 
dence in  the  poorer  quarters  of  a  city  in  order  to  come  into 
daily  personal  contact  with  the  people,  and  by  cooperation 
with  them,  through  various  avenues  and  means,  to  work  out 
individual  and  social  problems  for  the  common  good  of  the 
neighborhood. 

The  Settlement  is  distinctively  an  English  product,  and  is 
found  almost  exclusively  in  the  cities  of  Great  Britain  and 
the  United  States.  We  trace  its  origin  to  Oxford  University, 
and  to  two  young  men,  Edward  Denison  and  Arnold  Toynbee, 
and  upon  the  early  death  of  these,  to  the  Rev.  S.  A.  Barnett, 
Vicar  of  St.  Jude's,  in  Whitechapel,  London,  who  maintained 
that  "  every  message  to  the  poor  would  be  in  vain  did  it  not 
come  expressed  in  the  life  of  brothermen."  In  other  words, 
this  gentleman  clearly  recognized  the  principle  that  the  first 
requisite  for  successful  work  among  London's  neglected 
masses  was  personal  contact  and  personal  service.  His  plan, 
therefore,  was  to  have  a  group  of  university  men  reside 
together  and  make  their  home  a  living  center  of  elevating 
influences.  Thus,  in  1885,  originated  the  first  Settlement, 
known  as  Toynbee  Hall. 

Concerning  the  principle  of  personal  service,  Robert  A. 
Woods,  sometime  resident  of  Toynbee  Hall,  and  later  head 
of  Andover  House,  Boston,  says:  "  Settlements  stand  dis- 
tinctly for  the  fact,  not  before  accepted,  but  now  growing 


226  FORMS  OF  INNER  MISSION  ACTIVITY 

more  and  more  clear,  that  social  work  demands  the  close, 
continued  care  of  men  and  women  of  the  best  gifts  and  train- 
ing. They  show  that  if  society  would  start  afresh  the  glow 
in  its  far-out  members,  it  must  bring  there  the  same  fulness 
and  variety  of  resource  that  is  needed  to  keep  life  glowing 
at  the  center.  They  are  also  the  beginning  of  a  better  un- 
derstanding of  the  truth  which  is  confessed,  but  not  believed, 
that  where  one  member  suffers  all  the  members  suffer  with 
him.  In  a  just  view  of  the  case,  the  massing  together  of  the 
well-to-do  over  against  the  poor,  neither  group  knowing  how 
the  other  lives,  involves  as  great  evil  to  the  one  side  as  to  the 
other." 

Although  Settlements  are  primarily  designed  to  be  a  social 
rather  than  a  direct  religious  force,  the  motive  of  the  work  is, 
after  all,  essentially  religious.  "  In  no  case  known  to  the 
writer,"  says  Dr.  C.  R.  Henderson,  "  is  there  a  Settlement 
which  is  hostile  or  even  indifferent  to  religion." 1  And  again: 
"  Perhaps  it  would  be  a  fair  representation  of  the  general 
and  dominant  thought  of  the  residents  that  religion  must  be 
expressed  in  action  and  services  in  order  that  words  may  gain 
force  and  significance.  The  people  are  already  familiar  with 
the  ideas  of  Christianity.  But  ideas  are  feeble  until  they  are 
incarnated.  Religion  is  not  a  separate  interest  of  men,  but 
a  bond  which  unites  all.  The  Son  of  Man  came  into  the 
flesh,  and  made  eternal  truth  visible  and  tangible."2  In 
some  Settlements,  of  course,  more  emphasis  is  laid  on  the 
religious  element  than  in  others,  and  a  few  are  distinctly 
denominational.  Mansfield  House,  conducted  by  the  Con- 
gregationalists  in  East  London,  for  instance,  declares: 
"  Mansfield  House  is  a  University  Settlement,  founded  for 
practical  helpfulness,  in  the  spirit  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  all  that 
affects  human  life.  We  war,  in  the  Master's  name,  against 
all  evil — selfishness,  injustice,  vice,  disease,  starvation,  ig- 
norance, ugliness,  and  squalor;  and  seek  to  build  up  God's 
kingdom  in  brotherhood,  righteousness,  purity,  health,  truth, 
and  beauty."  Bermondsey  Settlement  in  South  London, 

1  Social  Settlements,  p.  173.  *Ibid.,  p.  177. 


CONFLICT  WITH   SOCIAL  ILLS  227 

organized  by  the  Wesleyans,  formulates  its  relation  to  religion 
as  follows:  "  The  whole  is  dominated  and  held  together  by  a 
supreme  spiritual  concern  to  minister  in  the  spirit  of  Christ 
to  the  manifold  wants  of  human  nature,  and  thus  to  set 
forth,  as  we  see  it,  the  Divine  power  and  the  breadth  of 
sympathy  to  be  found  in  Christ.  For  us  the  work  of  evan- 
gelization is  the  highest  and  noblest;  but  so  great  is  it  that 
it  includes  all  the  faculties,  relationships,  and  conditions 
of  human  life.  Any  advance  of  the  kingdom  of  God  must 
fulfil  itself  in  all  these.  And  thus  we  must  soon  be  seeking 
to  build,  by  our  Master's  help,  an  earthly  city  of  God  in 
which  regenerated  individuals  may  walk.  The  law  of 
Christian  service  will  make  all  gifts  with  which  men  are 
endowed  contribute  to  this  end,  and  it  is  our  business  to  try 
to  lay  hold  of  them  for  it."  And  in  a  report  of  the  Church 
Settlement  House,  New  York,  we  read:  "  We  are  more  than 
ever  convinced  of  the  futility  of  presenting  religious  truth 
to  the  masses  without  a  practical  demonstration  of  the 
brotherhood  of  man,  and  the  equal  hopelessness  of  attempted 
social  reform  based  on  any  other  foundation  than  that  of 
the  Incarnation." 

Thus  the  Settlement,  while  not  a  missionary  force  in  the 
sense  of  the  Church,  is  nevertheless  a  form  of  service  which, 
when  thoroughly  permeated  by  the  spirit  of  Christ,  is  not 
only  an  active  demonstration  of  brotherly  love,  but  also  an 
agency  which  helps  to  promote  individual  and  social  welfare. 
Viewed  in  this  light,  and  founded  on  the  principle  that  the 
Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  in  the  end  the  only  satisfactory 
and  adequate  resolvent  of  the  social  problem,  the  Settlement 
can  be  added  to  the  other  forms  of  Inner  Mission  work,  as  has 
already  been  done  by  the  Inner  Mission  Society  in  Philadel- 
phia. 


228  THE   INNER   MISSION 


CONCLUSION 

In  this  sketch  of  a  great  and  widely  ramified  movement  it 
has  been  manifestly  impossible  to  give  more  than  a  bare  out- 
line. For  the  detailed  treatment  of  its  many  phases  readers 
familiar  with  the  German  language  are  referred  to  its  extensive 
literature  on  the  subject.  It  is  hoped,  however,  that  enough 
has  been  said  in  this  volume  to  indicate  the  general  character 
of  the  Inner  Mission,  and  to  show  that  it  is  a  movement 
which  in  the  soundness  of  its  principles,  the  comprehensive- 
ness of  its  work,  the  intelligent  Christian  zeal  of  its  personnel, 
and  the  results  achieved  is  most  worthy  of  study  and  imita- 
tion. 

To  the  readers  of  these  pages  it  should  also  be  evident  that 
Germany  is  to-day  not  the  unbelieving,  unchristian  country 
that  it  is  in  some  quarters  reputed  to  be.  Because  it  has 
been  the  home  of  Rationalism,  and  because  some  university 
professors  still  make  themselves  conspicuous  by  advocating 
heretical  views,  many  are  tempted  to  ask,  What  good  can 
come  out  of  Germany?  But  a  land  that  still  lays  such  stress 
upon  the  saving  power  of  the  Gospel,  that  annually  publishes 
and  circulates  such  a  volume  of  Christian  literature,  that  has 
such  an  array  of  institutions  and  associations  devoted  to  the 
service  of  Christian  love,  such  an  army  of  earnest  men  and 
women  as  workers  in  these,  and  that  for  their  support  can 
raise  such  sums  of  money  mostly  in  small  amounts  from  the 
many,  can  surely  not  be  spoken  of  as  a  country  of  universal 
unbelief.  "  There  exists  in  the  German  Church  at  large  a 
depth  of  Christian  convictions  and  positive  evangelical 
faith  that  must  convince  candid  observers  that  the  Gospel 
is  a  power  of  the  first  magnitude  in  the  heart  and  soul  of  the 
Germans.  In  some  respects  the  German  Christians  are  the 
superiors  of  the  Christians  of  all  other  countries,  especially 
in  the  intelligent  understanding  of  the  great  facts,  history, 
and  teachings  of  Christianity.  This  is  one  of  the  fruits  of 
the  educational  system  of  the  country,  which  makes  relig- 


CONCLUSION  229 

ious  instruction  a  necessary  element  and  a  most  important 
factor  in  the  training  of  the  young.  From  the  kindergarten, 
through  the  public  schools,  the  high  schools,  the  colleges,  up 
to  the  very  door  of  the  university,  instruction  in  Biblical 
history,  Catechism,  Church  history,  etc.,  is  one  of  the  leading 
parts  of  the  curriculum.  The  German  Christians  are  not 
content,  as  in  most  cases  the  American  are,  to  depend  for 
the  religious  training  of  the  children  on  the  instructions  of 
one  hour  weekly  only  in  the  Sunday  school,  and  then  often 
by  incompetent  and  superficial  teachers.  Through  their 
school  training  the  Germans  are  thoroughly  informed  on  all 
matters  pertaining  to  Christian  faith,  and  have  a  most  in- 
telligent knowledge  of  what  they  as  Christians  are  expected  to 
know  and  to  do.  ...  The  critical  views  of  the  theological 
professors  do  not  find  permanent  lodgment,  as  a  rule,  in  the 
minds  and  hearts  of  the  ministers,  who  find  that  when  they 
are  actually  to  take  charge  of  souls  only  positive  and  old- 
fashioned  doctrines  will  do  any  good.  The  Christians  of 
Germany  by  their  actions  are  constantly  demonstrating  the 
fact  that  they  are  positive  in  their  creed.  The  churches  of 
the  preachers  of  the  evangelical  faith  are  filled  with  auditors, 
while  those  of  the  '  advanced  '  men  are  empty.  The  people 
flock  there  where  they  will  receive  substantial  spiritual  food. 
...  It  is  certain  that  there  are  many  thousands  es- 
tranged from  the  Church,  especially  in  the  large  cities  and 
under  the  influence  of  the  Social  Democrats,  but  it  is  doubtful 
if  the  churchless  masses  in  Germany  are  numerically  stronger 
than  they  are  in  some  other  Protestant  lands,  such  as  England 
and  America.  .  .  .  But  aside  from  this  unruly  element, 
German  Protestantism  is  positive  to  the  core.  Luther's 
translation  of  the  Bible,  his  Catechism,  the  magnificent 
hymns  that  constitute  such  a  grand  treasury  of  the  Church, 
its  ascetic  literature,  such  as  Arndt's  True  Christianity 
and  other  noble  inheritances  from  the  days  of  faith  and 
struggle,  have  a  hold  on  the  German  heart,  and  are  such 
powerful  agents  in  its  education  that  the  fleeting  notions  of  a 
passing  phase  of  antichristian  philosophy  or  theology  cannot 


230  THE  INNER  MISSION 

uproot  an  oak  that  the  Spirit  of  God  planted  nearly  four 
centuries  ago,  and  has  been  faithfully  protecting  all  these 
years."1 

In  the  Lutheran  Church  of  America  the  Inner  Mission 
movement  is  now  likewise  going  forward  with  increasing 
momentum,  and  it  asks  to  be  placed  on  the  same  plane  as 
other  beneficent  agencies  within  the  Church.  It  would  be 
to  the  Family,  the  Church,  and  the  State  what  it  has  been  and 
is  in  Continental  Europe.  It  would  enlist  the  active  sym- 
pathy and  cooperation  of  pastors  on  the  one  hand,  and  the 
labors,  prayers,  and  material  support  of  our  believing  people 
on  the  other.  It  would  come  into  direct  contact  with  those 
whose  spiritual  and  physical  needs  only  Christian  love  can 
adequately  relieve,  demonstrate  to  them  that  Christ  still 
lives  in  His  people,  and  thus  bridge  over  the  chasm  which 
to-day  separates  so  many  from  the  Church.  In  a  word,  the 
Inner  Mission  would  so  faithfully  use  and  apply  the  Word,  and 
make  Christianity  so  living  and  concrete,  as  to  prove  to  all 
men  that  the  Church  is  not  only  "  the  pillar  and  ground  of 
the  truth  "  (i  Tim.  3:15),  but  also  the  assembly  of  those 
"created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works,  which  God  hath 
before  ordained  that  we  should  walk  in  them"  (Eph.  2  : 10). 

1  SCHODDE:  The  Protestant  Church  in  Germany ',  pp.  41,  43,  44. 


APPENDIX  A 


231 


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APPENDIX  A 


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APPENDIX  A 


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vO  to  too  to  too  OW  fOOO  O\t-^toO  <OH  N  Oto 
r}-  C-CO  vO  O  H  1000  tOt^MOO  OWOO  rj-c<  O  ^  t-» 

i-T  o  i-T  T?  oo  cT  wooo  co  ••Jo* 

TJ-W    <x    coc<i 


oo  co  ••Jo*  •<?  covrT  5  tfod*  »o  M  T?O  cT 

CJ   too   tofOHtoO\«OM    COO    OO    O 
*HCM          \OWHWWMHH  M<M 


t-~  tOO    O  •*  •*  ^    P)    H    HI    t-»OO   t^WtotOHl    «    H    O    H    cot—Ot^^-  T}-O  O    M    M  O    O  Tf 
COO  tMtotOTt-MC^HITl-tO         WMTj-HllO          NMN    t>»O    TtHt^toCON  MlOCO 


1O  O  ^-O  OO  <N  ^t  OO  <N  to  O  OO  to  toOO  -cf  »>•  •*  O  ONOO  Ot— 
t-MCO  tot^-N  Orf-  VOOO  O  «OO  000  -<t  t^  M  O  t-CO  O»  MOO 
N  C4COH  H  «  •*  M 


Ot-COCO« 


OO    <N    Tj-to 


tOOO  OO    O    HI    OOO    0* 


O    HI    OOO    0*    <O-*Hi    to 
OCOH    COM    COM    io<N 


-OOOOOOCOCOOOOOIHHIHIH     COIOO     O 

"•QOOOOO    OOOOOOOOOOO 

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 


234 


APPENDIX  A 


•6o6i 


•6061 


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•papunoj 


M    iy-,  M    Ci 


o\vo  t^r* 


ONOO    w    CO 
O     «    «    H 


-  Crac 
rsdorf 
(United 


Grii 
Ma 
Leipzig-Bo 
Milwauke 


berg 


I    M   «   torf 
I  00000000 


•<t  OO   M   p»   tj-vo   •*  N  00 

2     OHM^f°:?M2C' 

C/3 

OMot^-oo  tow  o  o\oo        tr 

^         QtOfOfOiHCOtoco  ON 

W 

•*  O 

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| 

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§ 
I 

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M 

<u 

i 

rt   .s 
•8    s 

1J 

o 

00 

a 

Wflii^5 


APPENDIX  A 


235 


II.  FIELDS  OF  DEACONESS'  LABOR 

In  the  spring  of  1910,  17,947  sisters  connected  with  the  84  Motherhouses 
of  the  Kaiserswerth  Union  were  employed  as  follows: 


Fields  of  Labor. 

No. 

Sisters. 

I. 

Hospitals  

IIX5 

7286 

II. 

Sanatoriums  

155 

^6«; 

III. 

Homes  for  the  Aged  and  Infirm  .                  

460 

lOI^ 

IV. 

Institutions  for  the  Crippled,  Blind,  and  Deaf- 
mutes  

•?3 

1^7 

V. 

Institutions  for  Idiots  and  Epileptics 

1:7 

^02 

VI. 

Parish  Diaconate  

3454 

5486 

VII. 

Training  Homes  and  Schools  

2O2 

521 

VIII. 

Little  Children's  Schools   

III7 

1216 

IX. 

Day  Nurseries 

1^4 

250 

X. 

Institutions  for  Domestics,  etc 

77 

184 

XI. 

Institutions  for  Neglected  Children  

7« 

1  60 

XII. 

Magdalen  and  Temporary  Homes  

62 

318 

XIII. 

Miscellaneous  

252 

500 

7216 

17,947* 

*  The  apparent  inconsistency  between  these  figures  and  those  in  Table  I, 
is  due  to  the  fact  that  here  only  the  number  of  sisters  in  active  service  is 
given.  As  regards  the  forms  of  service,  9303,  or  51.8  per  cent.,  were  in  the 
spring  of  1910  engaged  in  institutions  for  the  sick  and  defective;  5486,  or 
30.6  per  cent.,  in  parish  work;  2658,  or  14.8  per  cent.,  in  child-saving  and 
other  institutions  of  an  educational  character;  and  500,  or  2.8  per  cent.,  in 
miscellaneous  work. 


236 


APPENDIX  A 


III.  GERMAN  DIAKONENHAUSER 
January  i,  1910 


No. 

Name. 

Founded. 

Location. 

i 

Rauhes  Haus 

18 

Hamburg 

2 

Duisburg 

1844. 

Rhine  Province 

3 

Ziillchow  

Stettin. 

4 

Lindenhof  

1850 

Neinstedt. 

5 

Tohannesstift  

1858 

Berlin. 

6 

Stephansstift  

1860 

Hanover. 

7 

Moritzburg  

1872 

Saxony. 

8 

Karlshohe 

1876 

Nazareth 

1877 

Bielefeld 

10 

Kraschnitz  

1881 

Silesia. 

ii 

Karlshof  

1883 

Rastenberg,  East  Prussia 

12 

Eckartshaus  

1888 

Eckartsberga,  Thuringia 

Rummelsberg 

1800 

Nuremberg 

14 

Tannenhof 

1806 

Luttringhausen   Rhine  Province 

Zoar  

1808  I 

Rothenburg,    Upper    Lusatia;    at 

Tfi 

Treysa 

I  no  i 

Danzig  since  1907. 
Hessen-Nassau 

17 

Rickling  Vicelinstift  

1906 

Schleswig. 

On  the  ist  of  January,  1910,  the  total  number  of  Diakonen  con- 
nected with  these  17  houses  was  3095,  employed  as  follows:  As  city 
missionaries,  145  ;  in  parish  and  evangelistic  work,  199  ;  as  secretaries 
and  agents,  and  in  the  cause  of  temperance  and  youth,  96  ;  as  mission- 
aries to  seamen,  rivermen,  waiters,  emigrants,  and  soldiers,  37  ;  as  pastors 
in  America,  53  ;  as  teachers,  59  ;  as  housefathers  in  rescue  and  orphans' 
homes,  228 ;  as  housefathers  in  institutions  for  confirmed,  53  ;  as  house- 
fathers in  inebriate  asylums,  16  ;  as  housefathers  in  Herbergen,  associa- 
tion houses,  and  relief  stations,  293  ;  as  housefathers  in  labor  colonies, 
35  ;  as  housefathers  in  homes  for  the  aged  and  infirm,  86  ;  as  care-takers 
of  idiots,  epileptics,  and  insane,  104 ;  as  care-takers  of  deaf-mutes, 
crippled,  and  blind,  8  ;  as  housefathers  and  nurses  in  general  hospitals, 
120 ;  as  ambulatory  nurses,  31  ;  as  colporteurs,  collecting  agents,  and 
overseers  in  prisons,  17  ;  in  various  other  capacities,  973  ;  in  training, 
542. 


APPENDIX  B 


237 


APPENDIX  B 

LUTHERAN  INNER  MISSION  INSTITUTIONS  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES 

THIS  list  is  believed  to  be  as  nearly  correct  and  complete  as  it  has 
been  possible  to  make  it.  If  any  institutions  have  been  omitted,  or  if 
dates  and  locations  are  incorrectly  given,  it  is  due  to  the  fact  that  in 
some  cases  repeated  inquiries  failed  to  elicit  an  answer. 

I.  DEACONESS  MOTHERHOUSES 
(Spring,  1910) 


No. 

Name  and  Location  of  Motherhouse. 

Founded. 

Deaconesses. 

Probationers. 

"c5 

£ 

jA 

"3 

o 
H 

!, 

|E 

Cfl 

i 

2 

Philadelphia,     Pa.  —  Mary     J.     Drexel 
Home  and  Philadelphia  Motherhouse 
of  Deaconesses,  2100  S.  College  Ave.  .  . 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  —  Norwegian  Lutheran 
Deaconess  Home   and   Hospital,  4th 
Ave.  and  46th  Street  .... 

1884 
i88<; 

56 
i 

*7 

16 

73 

17 

a 

r> 

75 

IQ 

16 

3 
4 
5 
6 

Minneapolis,    Minn.  —  -Norwegian   Dea- 
coness Institute,  2312  isth  Ave.,  S.  .. 
Omaha,  Neb.  —  Immanuel  Deaconess  In- 
stitute, 34th  Street  and  Meredith  Ave. 
Milwaukee,  Wis.  —  Lutheran    Deaconess 
Motherhouse,  23d  and  Cedar  Streets.. 
Baltimore,    Md.  —  Lutheran     Deaconess 
Motherhouse  of   the  General  Synod, 
2600  W.  North  Ave. 

1889 
1890 
1893* 

i8<K 

14 
3° 
27 

17 

16 
ii 
17 

17 

3° 
4i 
44 

34 

IO 

6 

i 

40 
47 
45 

34 

6 

14 
8 

6 

7 

Chicago,      111.—  Norwegian      Lutheran 
Deaconess   Home    and    Hospital,    1138 
N.  Leavitt  Street  

1897 

T7 

32 

49 

IS 

<M 

iS 

8 
9 

10 

St.  Paul,    Minn.  —  Bethesda    Deaconess 
Home  and  Hospital,  2  54  E.  loth  Street  . 
Brush,  Colo.—  Ebenezer  Mercy  Institute  . 
Sioux  City,  la.—  St.  John's  Hospital  and 
Lutheran    Deaconess  Home,  i4th  and 
James    Streets 

1902 

r9°S 

IQOO 

9 

i 

12 

3 

21 

3 

i 

6 

i 

T 

27 
4 

2 

7 
3 

i 

Total 

172 

141 

31  3 

1  1 

7CJ7 

8r 

*  Reorganization  of  the  work  begun  by  Dr.  Passavant  at  Pittsburgh  in 
1849. 


238 


APPENDIX   B 


FIELDS  or  LABOR  OF  THE  LUTHERAN  DEACONESSES  IN  AMERICA 
(Spring,  1910) 

1.  Parish  Work  (Parishes) 26 

2.  Hospitals 22 

3.  Orphans'  Homes 7 

4.  Homes  for  the  Aged 10 

5.  Homes  for  Invalids 2 

6.  Home  for    Epileptics i 

7.  Institutions  for  the  Treatment  of  Tuberculosis 2 

8.  Settlement  Work i 

9.  District  Nursing 2 

10.  Immigrant  Mission,  N.  Y i 

11.  Woman's  Home  (Hospice) i 

12*  Girls'  School i 

13.  Kindergartens 8 

14.  Training-schools  for  Kindergarten  Teachers 3 

15.  Matron  Ladies'  Hall  (College) i 

1 6.  Foreign  Mission  Field — 

China 3 

Madagascar 2 

II.  ORPHANS'  HOMES 


No. 

Name. 

Found 
ed. 

Location. 

i 

Emmaus 

1806 

Middletown,  Pa. 

2 
? 

Home  and  Farm  School.  .  . 
Lutheran  .          .    

1852 
1859 

Zelienople,  Pa. 
695°  Germantown  Ave.,  Phila.,  Pa. 

4 

Lutheran  .             

1860 

Toledo,  Ohio. 

e 

Lutheran             .        

1863 

Waverly,  la. 

6 

St.  John's        

1864 

Sulphur  Springs,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

7 

Swedish                       

1865 

Vasa,  Minn. 

8 

Wartburg                    

1866 

Mt.  Vernon,  N.  Y. 

Swedish 

1867 

Andover,  111. 

10 

Child  Jesus 

1867 

Des  Peres,  Mo. 

ii 

Tressler 

1868 

Loysville,  Pa. 

12 

Uhlich 

1860 

Center  and  Burling  Sts.,  Chicago, 

I  3 

Martin  Luther 

1871 

Illinois. 
West  Roxbury,  Mass. 

14 

Lutheran 

1873 

Addison,  111. 

I  e 

Wernle 

1870 

Richmond,  Ind. 

16 

Swedish 

1880 

Cleburne   Kan. 

17 

Bethlehem  

1881 

5413  N.  Peters  St.,  New  Orleans, 

T8 

Swedish                     

1881 

Stanton,  la.                                [La. 

10 

Homme's                     

1881 

Wittenberg,  Wis. 

2o 

Loats'  for  Girls.  

1882 

Frederick,  Md. 

21 

Concordia  

1883 

Marwood,  Pa. 

22 
23 

Evangelical  Lutheran  
Danish                         

1883 
1884 

E.  Washington  and  LaSalle  Sts., 
Indianapolis,  Ind. 
3320  Evergreen  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 

24 

Gustavus  Adolphus       .... 

1885 

Jamestown,  N.  Y. 

2C 

Bethlehem 

1886 

College  Point,  N.  Y. 

^6 

Tabitha 

1887 

45th  and  Randolph  Sts.,  Lincoln, 

27 

Lutheran 

1888 

Nebraska. 
Salem,  Va. 

78 

Martin  Luther..               .    . 

1880 

Stoughton,  Wis. 

29 

Children's  Mission  Home.. 

1890 

Knoxville,  Tenn. 

APPENDIX   B 


239 


No. 


Name. 


Found 
ed. 


Location. 


United  Norwegian 1890 

Swedish 1891 

Martha  and  Mary 1891 

33  Elim  Danish 1892 

German  Lutheran 1892 

35      Augsburg 1892 

St.  John's 1893 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Hershey .  1894 

Bethany  Danish -. . . .  1895 

39  Lutheran 1896 

40  St.  Peter's 1897 

41  United  Norwegian 1897 

42  Bethesda ^97 

43  Lutheran 1898 

44  Bethesda 1898 

45  Wild  Rice 1898 

Norwegian 1899 

47  Immanuel 1901 

48  Parkland 1902 

49  Lutheran 1904 

50  Oesterlen 1904 

51  Children's  Friend 1904 

52  Swedish 1906 

53  Danish 1908 

54  Good  Shepherd  for  Infants..  1908 

55  Danish 1908 

Dr.  Martin  Luther...  ? 


Beliot,  la. 

Joliet,  111. 

Paulsbo,  Wash. 

Elkhorn,  Ind. 

Fremont,  Neb. 

746  W.  Lexington  St.,  Baltimore, 

Maryland. 
Mars,  Pa. 
Muscatine,  la. 
Waupaca,  Wis. 
Topton,  Pa. 

Robinson  Road,  Allegheny,  Pa. 
Lake  Park,  Minn. 
Beresford,  S.  Dak. 
Belle  Plaine,  Minn. 
Willmar,  Minn. 
Twin  Valley,  Minn. 
Edison  Park,  Chicago,  111. 
Fowler  Ave.  and  34th  St.,  Omaha, 

Nebraska. 
Parkland,  Wash. 
Nachusa,  111. 
Springfield,  Ohio. 
Jersey  City,  N.  J. 
Avon,  Mass. 
Tyler,  Minn. 
Allentown,  Pa. 

56  State  St.,  Perth  Amboy,  N.  J. 
San  Francisco,  Cal. 


III.  HOME  FINDING  SOCIETIES 

The  Amerikanischer  Kalender  for  1911,  published  at  St.  Louis,  gives 
a  list  of  thirteen  Home  Finding  (Kinder freund)  Societies,  all  of  them 
connected  with  the  Synodical  Conference,  and  in  their  operations  cov- 
ering practically  the  entire  territory  of  said  large  body.  Nearly  all  of 
them  have  temporary  homes  for  the  care  of  children  until  they  can  be 
placed  in  suitable  families. 

IV.  OLD  PEOPLE'S  HOMES 


No. 

i 

2 

3 
4 


Name. 


Found- 
ed. 


Location. 


Lutheran. 
Wartburg. 
Homme's. 
Tabitha.. 


Mary  J.  Drexel. 

National 

Lutheran 

Lutheran 

Augsburg 


1876 
1881 
1887 

1889 
1890 
1891 
1892 
1892 


6950  Germantown  Ave.,  Phila.,  Pa. 
2958  Fulton  St.,  Brooklyn. 
Wittenberg,  Wis. 
45th  and  Randolph  Sts.,  Lincoln, 

Nebraska. 

2100  S.  College  Ave.,  Phila.,  Pa. 
Washington,  D.  C. 
Monroe,  Mich. 
Arlington  Heights,  111. 
746  W.  Lexington  St.,  Baltimore. 


240 


APPENDIX   B 


No. 

Name. 

Found- 
ed. 

Location. 

IO 

St.  John's  

1803 

Mars,  Pa. 

ii 

12 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Hershey  .  .  . 
Norwegian 

1894 
1896 

Muscatine,  Iowa. 
Norwood  Park,  Chicagc 

),  111. 

15 

Lutheran 

1806 

217    E.    Delavan    Ave 

,    Buffalo 

14 

Bethesda 

1808 

New  York. 
Willmar,  Minn. 

I  (j 

Lutheran 

1808 

Belle  Plaine,  Minn. 

16 

Marie  Louise  Heins 

1800 

Mt.  Vernon,  N.  Y. 

17 

Norwegian  

1800 

Stoughton,  Wis. 

T8 

St.  John's    .  

IQOI 

Springfield,  Minn. 

19 

Danish 

IOO2 

Walnut  and  Clerendon 

Sts.,  Chi- 

20 

Nazareth 

IQO3 

Omaha,  Neb. 

fcago. 

21 

Bethesda 

I  QO4 

Chisago  City,  Minn. 

22 

Salem 

IQOC 

Joliet,  111. 

23 

Lutheran 

IOo6 

Toledo,  Ohio. 

24 

Swedish  

1906 

Madrid,  Iowa. 

25 

Feghtly... 

1906 

Tippecanoe  City,  Ohio. 

?6 

Lutheran  .          

1906 

Erie,  Pa. 

27 

Lutheran 

I  Qo6 

Wauwatosa,  Wis. 

78 

Swedish 

ioo7 

Lindsborg,  Kan. 

20 

Lutheran 

IQO7 

Zelienople,  Pa. 

30 

Lutheran 

IQO7 

1906  Lafayette  Ave.  St. 

Louis  Mo. 

•JI 

Good  Shepherd 

1008 

Allen  town,  Pa. 

"12 

Swedish  Augustana 

1008 

Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

V.  HOSPITALS 


No. 

Name. 

Found- 
ed. 

Location. 

I 

Passavant 

1840 

Roberts  and  Reed'Sts    Pittsburgh 

2 

Milwaukee 

186-1 

Penna. 

•i 

Passavant  

1865 

Wisconsin. 
192  E.  Superior  St.,  Chicago  111 

4 

Lutheran  

1878 

Ohio  and  Potomac  Sts.   St  Louis 

e 

Bethesda.. 

1880 

Missouri. 
Wacouta  and  loth  Sts     St    Paul 

6 

Lutheran 

1881 

Minn.  : 
East  New  York  Ave  and     Powell 

•j 

Augustana 

1882 

Street,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
2043  Cleveland  Ave    Chicago   111 

I 

Norwegian  

i88q 

4th  Ave.  and  46th  St.,  Brooklyn 

9 

10 

ii 

Children's,  Mary  J.  Drexel. 
Eye,  Ear,  and  Throat  

Immanuel 

1889 
1889 

1890 

2100  S.  College  Ave.,  Phila.,  Pa. 
i4th  and  N.  Sts.,  N.  W.,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C. 

12 

1801 

Nebraska. 
1  5th  Ave.  and  E.  2^d  St.,  Minne- 

17 

Tabitha  

1894 

apolis,  Minn. 
Humboldt  Park    Chicago   111. 

14 

St.  Olaf's  

1896 

Austin   Minn. 

I"? 

St.  John's... 

1806 

McClure  Ave..  Alleehenv.  Pa. 

APPENDIX  B 


241 


No. 

Name. 

Found- 
ed. 

Location. 

T6 

Lutheran  

1896 

2609    Franklin    Ave.,    Cleveland 

17 

Norwegian  

1807 

Ohio. 
1138  N.  Leavitt  St.,  Chicago  111 

T« 

Springfield  .    . 

1807 

W.  Grand  Ave.  and  5th  St    Spring- 

10 

Bethesda  

1808 

field,  Illinois. 
104  St.  Paul  St.   Crookston  Alinn 

20 

Grand  Forks 

1800 

Grand  Forks   N   D 

21 

German  Lutheran 

1800 

27th  and  Pierce  Sts     Sioux  City 

22 

St.  John's 

IQOI 

Iowa. 
Springfield   Minn 

23 

Ebenezer 

IOOI 

Madison   Minn 

24 

La  Crosse 

IOO2 

25 

Northwood  

IQO2 

Wisconsin. 
Northwood   N   D 

06 

Graf  ton  

IQO'? 

Grafton   N   D 

27 

St.  Luke's. 

IQO3 

Fergus  Falls   Minn 

08 

Lutheran 

2O 

Lutheran  

I  QO4 

Indiana. 
Granite  City,  111. 

•?o 

St.  Luke's  

IQO< 

Fargo,  N.  D. 

•71 

Immanuel  

IQo6 

Mankato   Minn 

T.2 

Northwestern.  . 

IOo6 

Moorehead   Minn 

•7-7 

Good  Samaritan 

IQO6 

Rugby  N  D 

34 

German  Lutheran  

TOO? 

225  Prescott  St.,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 

7C 

Luther  

IQO7 

Eau  Claire  Wis. 

76 

Tabitha..    . 

IQO7 

45th  and  Randolph  Sts     Lincoln 

•27 

Lutheran  . 

1008 

Nebraska. 
Bay  City  Mich 

38 

St.  John's 

i4th  and  James  Sts     Sioux  City 

39 

Fairview  

IQIO 

Iowa. 
6th  St.  and  24th  Ave.,  Minneapolis, 

4O 

For  Consumptives. 
Ebenezer  Sanitarium  

I9O3 

Minn. 
Brush,  Colo. 

41 

Evang.  Lutheran  '. 

I9°S 

Edgewater,  near  Denver,  Colo. 

42 

43 

Kensington  Dispensary  
Swedish  Lutheran  

1905 
1008 

Susquehanna   Ave.   and   Hancock 
St.,  Phila.,  Pa. 
Englewood,  near  Denver,  Colo. 

44 

The  Thomas  

1008 

6th  St.  and  24th  Ave.,  Minneapolis, 

Minn. 

VI.  INSTITUTIONS  FOR  DEFECTIVES 


No. 

Name. 

Found- 
ed. 

Location. 

i 

Institution  for  Deaf-mute 
Children 

187? 

North  Detroit,  Mich. 

2 

Passavant  Memorial  Homes 
for  Epileptics  

i8o<c 

Rochester,  Pa. 

3 

Home  for  Feeble-minded 
and  Epileptics  

IOO4 

Milwaukee,  Wis. 

4 

Good  Shepherd  Home  for 
Crippled  Orphans  

1008 

Allentown,  Pa. 

242 


APPENDIX   B 


VII.  IMMIGRANT  AND  SEAMEN'S  MISSIONS 


No. 

Name. 

Found- 
ed. 

Location. 

i 

Immigrant. 
Scandinavian 

1867 

8  State  St    New  York 

2 

German.    .    .  

1869 

4  State  St.,  New  York. 

7, 

German       

1880 

3020  E.  Baltimove  Ave.,  Baltimore 

4 
r 

Lutheran  Pilgrim  House..  . 
Swedish  .          ....     ...... 

1884 
i8o< 

8  State  St.,  New  York. 
5  Water  St.,  New  York 

6 

Seamen's. 
Norwegian  Seamen's 
Church  

1870 

in  Pioneer  St.,  Brooklyn,  N    Y 

7 

Scandinavian  Sailor's 
Temperance  Home.  .  .  . 

1887 

172  Carrol  St.,  Brooklyn  N.  Y 

8 

Finnish.  

1887 

529—  531     Clinton    St.      Brooklyn 

Scandinavian 

1890 

New  York. 
544  Harrison  St.,  San  Francisco 

10 

Seamen's  Home  

IQO7 

California. 
64  Hudson  St.,  Hoboken,  N.  J. 

ii 

Seamen's  Home  .  . 

IOOO 

1402    Moyamensing   Ave.,   Phila 

12 

Immigrant  and  Seamen's 
Danish  

1878 

Penna. 
193-195  9th  St.,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

17 

Swedish  

IQO2 

ii  Henry  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 

VIII.  HOSPICES 


No. 

Name. 

Found- 
ed. 

Location. 

I 

Luther 

157  N   2oth  St    Phila    Pa 

2 

Lutheran  for  Women 

826   6th   St    South    Minneapolis 

7 

Lutheran  . 

IQO7 

Minnesota. 
1906  Lafayette  Ave.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

4 

I 

Immanuel  for  Women  
Augustana  Central  Home  ... 
Young    Women's    Danish 
Lutheran  Home 

1908 
1909 

? 

1505  La  Salle  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 
1346  La  Salle  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 

130  Prospect  Ave    Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

IX.  MISCELLANEOUS 


No. 

Name. 

Found- 
ed. 

Location. 

i 

2 

Lankenau  School  for  Girls.  . 
Samaritan       Shelter      for 
Homeless  Men 

1890 
i8o< 

Mary  J.  Drexel  Home,  Phila.,  Pa. 
411-413  N.  4th  St.,  Phila.,  Pa. 

3 

German  Home  for  Recre- 
ation of  Women  and 
Children 

1808 

Graves  and  Beach,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

4 

Training-school  for  Chris- 
tian Kindergartners  

1902 

Mary  J.  Drexel  Home,  Phila.,  Pa. 

APPENDIX  B 


243 


No. 

Name. 

Found- 
ed. 

Location. 

Christian  Settlement... 

loo? 

Front  St.  and  Girard  Ave.,  Phila., 

6 

Tabor  Home  for  Neglected 
Children 

1006 

Penna. 
113  E.  Wyoming  Ave.,  Phila.   Pa. 

7 

Layton    Home  for   Incur- 
ables 

1008 

2ist  St.  bet.  Cedar  and  State  Mil- 

8 

Training-school  for  Chris- 
tian Kindergartners.  .  . 

1008 

waukee,  Wis. 
Deaconess      Motherhouse,      Mil- 

9 

Bethany  Home  for   Work- 
ing  Girls 

IQOQ 

waukee,  Wis. 
8th  and  Pine  Sts.,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 

In  a  number  of  cities  congregations  maintain  Christian  kindergar- 
tens conducted  by  parish  deaconesses  or  by  kindergartners  trained  by 
the  Philadelphia  and  Milwaukee  Motherhouses. 

X.  INNER  MISSION  SOCIETIES  AND  CITY  MISSIONS 

1.  Inner  Mission  Societies  are  active  in  Philadelphia,  New  York,  Pitts- 
burgh, Chicago,  and  Minneapolis. 

2.  City  Missions  are  maintained  in  Philadelphia,  New  York,  Chicago, 
St.  Louis,   Milwaukee,   St.  Paul   and   Minneapolis,    Buffalo,  Toledo,  and 
Brooklyn. 

3.  The  Lutheran  Church  Book  and  Literature  Society,  with  headquarters 
in  Philadelphia,  has  for  its  object  "  the  distribution  of  the  Church  Book,  and 
the  dissemination  of  other  Lutheran  literature." 


244  BIBLIOGRAPHY 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

GERMAN 

Mention  is  here  made  of  only  a  few  of  the  most  important  works.  For 
literature  covering  in  detail  the  contents  of  the  present  volume  the  reader  is 
referred  to  the  very  full  list  of  publications  at  the  close  of  Schafer's  Leitfaden, 
4th  ed.,  1903. 

WICHERN,  J.  H. :  Die  Innere  Mission  der  deutschen  evangelischen  Kirche. 
Denkschrift.  3d  ed.  Hamburg,  1889. 

Vortrage  und  Abhandlungen.  Herausgegeben  von  J.  Wichern  und 

F.  Oldenburg.     Hamburg,  1891. 

GESAMMELTE  SCHRIFTEN:  Vols.  I  and  II,  Brief e  und  Tagebuchblatter; 
Vol.  Ill,  Prinzipielles  zur  Inneren  Mission;  Vol.  IV,  Zur  Gefangniss-Reform; 
Vols.  V  and  VI,  Zur  Erziehungs-  und  Rettungshausarbeit.  Hamburg,  1901- 
1907. 

SCHAFER,  TH.  :  Leitfaden  der  Inneren  Mission.    4th  ed.    Hamburg,  1903. 

Diakonik.    In  Zockler's  Handbuch  der  theologischen  Wissenschaften, 

Vol.  IV.  3d  ed.     Nordlingen,  1890. 

Mission,    Innere:     In    Handworterbuch    der  Staatswissenschaften. 

Jena,  1900. 

Die  Innere  Mission  in  der  Schule.  6th  ed.     Giitersloh,  1905. 

Praktisches  Chris tentum.     Vortrage  aus  der  Inneren   Mission.     5 

vols.     Giitersloh,  1888-1909. 

Die  weibliche  Diakonie  in  ihrem  ganzen  Umfang  dargestellt.     Vol.  I, 

Die  Geschichte  der  weiblichen  Diakonie;  Vol.  II,  Die  Arbeit  der  weiblichen 
Diakonie;  Vol.  Ill,  Die  Diakonissin  und  das  Mutterhaus.  ist  ed.  Stutt- 
gart, 1887-1894.  (3d  ed.,  revised  to  date,  now  appearing,  Potsdam.) 

Im   Dienst   der   Liebe.     Skizzen    zur    Diakonissensache.    3d   ed. 

Giitersloh,  1909. 

Johann  Hinrich  Wichern.     Sein  Leben  und  seine  bleibende  Bedeu- 

tung.    Giitersloh,  1908. 

Kalender  der  Inneren  Mission.     Giitersloh,  1897. 

LEHUANN,  E.  G.:   Die  Werke  der  Liebe.  ad  ed.    Leipzig,  1883. 

UHLHORN,  GERHARD:  Die  christliche  Liebestatigkeit.  Vol.  I  (In  der 
alten  Kirche),  1882.  Vol.  II  (Im  Mittelalter),  1884.  Vol.  Ill  (Seit  der  Refor- 
mation). Stuttgart,  1890.  Second,  improved  ed.  in  one  volume  without 
notes. 

DALHOFF,  N.:  Die  christliche  Liebestatigkeit.  Eine  Anleitung  zum 
praktischen  Christentum.  (Translated  from  the  Danish.)  Giitersloh. 

REIMPELL,  JOH.  CHR.  :  Geschichte  der  Inneren  Mission  des  neunzehnten 
Jahrhunderts  in  der  evangelischen  Kirche  Deutschlands.  Begun  in  Vol. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  245 

XXIII  (Aug.  1903)  of  Schafer's  Monatsschrift,  continued  since  then,  but  not 
completed. 

WURSTER,  PAUL:  Die  Lehre  von  der  Inneren  Mission.     Berlin,  1895. 

WURSTER,  PAUL  und  HENNIG,  MARTIN:  Was  Jedermann  heute  von  der 
Inneren  Mission  wissen  muss.  Stuttgart. 

HENNIG,  MARTIN:  Taten  Jesu  in  unseren  Tagen.  Skizzen  und  Bilder 
aus  der  Arbeit  der  Inneren  und  Ausseren  Mission.  Hamburg,  1905. 

Dr.  Joh.  Hinr.  Wicherns  Lebenswerk  in  seiner  Bedeutung  fiir  das 

deutsche  Volk.     Hamburg,  1908. 

KARIG,  PAUL:  Komm  und  siehe  es.  Bilder  aus  der  Inneren  Mission. 
Eisleben,  1904. 

OSTERTAG:  Werkstatten  evangelischer  Liebesthatigkeit.     Miinchen,  1895. 

WACKER,  EMIL:  Der  Diakonissenberuf  nach  seiner  Vergangenheit  und 
Gegenwart.  Giitersloh,  1890. 

STATISTIK  DER  INNEREN  MISSION  DER  DEUTSCHEN  EVANG.  KIRCHE. 
Berlin,  1899. 

All  of  the  foregoing  can  be  obtained  of  the  Pilger  Publishing  House, 
Reading,  Pa.,  or  the  Wartburg  Publishing  House,  378  Wabash  Ave.f  Chicago, 
111. 

PERIODICALS. 

MONATSSCHRIFT  FUR  INNERE  MISSION:  Formerly  edited  by  Dr.  Th. 
Schafer,  now  by  Pastor  Martin  Ulbrich.  Giitersloh.  $2.00. 

DIE  INNERE  MISSION  ra  EVANGELISCHEN  DEUTSCHLAND.  Hamburg. 
$1.50.  Organ  of  the  Central  Committee,  Berlin. 

ENGLISH. 

PATON,  J.  B.:  The  Inner  Mission  of  Germany,  1885. 

STEVENSON,  W.  F.:  Praying  and  Working,  1892. 

Both  of  these  deal  only  with  the  early  history  of  the  movement. 

WENNER,  G.  W.:  The  Inner  Mission  of  Germany.  (Evangelical  Alliance, 
Chicago,  1893.) 

HENDERSON,  C.  R.:  The  German  Inner  Mission.  (American  Journal  of 
Sociology,  March,  May,  July,  1896.) 

SUTTER,  JULIE:  A  Colony  of  Mercy.     London,  3d  ed.,  1904. 

Cities  and  Citizens.      London,  1901.      This  contains  an  excellent 

presentation  of  the  Elberfeld  system  of  poor  relief. 

PFEIFFER,  E.:   Mission  Studies.     Columbus,  Ohio,  1908. 

UHLHORN,  GERHARD:  Christian  Charity  in  the  Ancient  Church.  New 
York,  1883. 

WACKER,  EMIL:  The  Deaconess  Calling.  Trans,  by  E.  A.  Endlich. 
Mary  J.  Drexel  Home,  Philadelphia,  1893. 

GERBERDING,  G.  H. :  Life  and  Letters  of  W.  A.  Passavant,  D.  D.  Young 
Lutheran  Co.,  Greenville,  Pa.,  1906. 

BATT,  J.  H.:  Dr.  Barnardo:  The  Foster-father  of  Nobody's  Children. 
London,  1905. 


246  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Articles  in  the  Lutheran  Cyclopedia,  the  Schaff-Herzog  Encyclopedia,  and 
the  Encyclopedia  of  Missions. 

FOR  COLLATERAL  READING. 

The  following  books  will  be  found  to  contain  much  valuable  information 
and  many  stimulating  suggestions,  though  the  reader,  like  the  author  of  this 
volume,  may  not^always  agree  with  the  writers. 

Correction  and  Prevention.  Four  volumes,  edited  by  Dr.  Charles  Rich- 
mond Henderson.  Vol.  I,  Prison  Reform;  Vol.  II,  Penal  and  Reformatory 
Institutions;  Vol.  Ill,  Preventive  Agencies  and  Methods,  by  Dr.  Henderson; 
Vol.  IV,  Preventive  Treatment  of  Neglected  Children,  by  Dr.  Hastings  H. 
Hart.  Charities  Publication  Committee,  New  York.  Per  volume,  $2.50; 
per  set,  $10.00. 

GROSE,  H.  B.:  Aliens  or  Americans?  Young  People's  Missionary  Move- 
ment Series,  New  York.  50  cents. 

HENDERSON,  C.  R.:  Modern  Methods  of  Charity.  The  Macmillan  Co., 
New  York.  $3.50. 

Dependent,  Defective,  and  Delinquent  Children.  Heath,  Boston. 

$1.5°- 

Social  Settlements.    A.  Wessels,  New  York.     60  cents. 

PEABODY,  F.  G.:  Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question.  The  Macmillan 
Co.,  New  York.  $1.50. 

RICHMOND,  MARY  E. :  Friendly  Visiting  Among  the  Poor.  The  Macmillan 
Co.,  New  York.  $1.00. 

The  Good  Neighbor.     J.  B.  Lippincott  Co.,  Philadelphia.    60  cents. 

Rns,  J.  A.:  How  the  Other  Half  Lives.  Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New 
York.  $1.25. 

The  Children  of  the  Poor.     Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York. 

Children  of  the  Tenements.     Macmillan  Co.,  New  York. 

The  Battle  with  the  Slum.     Macmillan  Co.,  New  York. 

The  Peril  and  Preservation  of  the  Home.  G.  W.  Jacobs,  Philadel- 
phia. $1.00. 

STRONG,  JOSIAH:  The  New  Era.  The  Baker  and  Taylor  Co.,  New  York. 
75  cents. 

Our  Country.    The  Baker  and  Taylor  Co.,  New  York.     60  cents. 

The  Challenge  of  the  City.  Young  People's  Missionary  Movement 

Series.  New  York.  50  cents. 

The  Poor  in  Great  Cities.     Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York. 

The  Social  Evil.  Report  of  Committee  of  Fifteen.  Putnam's,  New 
York.  $1.25. 

WARNER,  A.  G.:  American  Charities.  Thos.  Y.  Crowell  &  Co.,  New 
York.  $1.75. 

WINES,  F.  H. :  Punishment  and  Reformation.  Thos.  Y.  Crowell  &  Co., 
New  York.  $1.75. 


INDEX 


ADULT  probation,  191 

Aged  and  infirm,  203 

Almanacs,  129 

Ambrose,  43 

American  Bible  societies,  126 

American  Prison  Association,  186 

Apostolic  Constitutions,  quoted,  89, 

114 

Aristotle,  quoted,  35 
Art  societies,  133 
Association  of  War  Nurses,  222 
Associations,  99  ff. 
Auburn  system,  188 
Augustine,  43 

BARNARDO,  Dr.  T.  J.,  80  ff. 

Barnett,  A.  A.,  225 

Barth,  Ch.  G.,  78 

Basel  Bible  Society,  55 

Basel  Missionary  Society,  55 

Basil  the  Great,  43,  193 

Bauer,  Wilhelm,  79 

Beck,  M.  E.,  133 

Beghards,  46 

Beguines,  46 

Benecke,  Dr.,  203 

Bennett,  C.  W.,  quoted,  39,  40,  42, 

87 

Berlin  City  Mission,  77, 118  ff.,  128 
Bermondsey  Settlement,  226 
Beuggen,  55,  168 
Bible  societies,  55,  125  ff. 
Bibliography,  244 
Bielefeld,  76,  198,  216 
Bingham,  T.  A.,  article  by,  173 
Bion,  Pastor,  203 
Bissing,  Baron  von,  137 
Blankenburger  Konferenz,  in 
Blind,  195 
Blue  Cross  Society,  180 


Blumhard,  Pastor,  203 

Bodelschwingh,  Pastor  von,  76, 162, 
198,  202,  216 

Bohme,  Amanda,  68 

Boltzius,  J.  M.,  51 

Bost,  Pastor,  196 

Brace,  Chas.  Loring,  147 

Braille  system,  196 

Bram,  Andreas,  147 

Braun,  Supt.,  175 

Brethren  and  Sisters  of  the  Com- 
mon Life,  46 

British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
125 

Brockelmann,  W.,  141 

Bruckner,  B.  B.,  quoted,  18 

Br&derhauser,  66,  91 

Bunsen,  Baron  von,  62,  132 

Burkhardt,  Pastor,  155 

Buttner,  J.  S.,  79 


CALLENBERG,  J.  H.,  51 
Canal  and  railroad  laborers,  166 
Canstein,  Baron  von,  51,  52 
Canstein  Bible  Institution,  50,  51, 

125 

Central  Committee,  n,  68,  100 
Chalmers,  Thos.,  62,  215 
Charity  of  first  Christians,  33-41 
Charity  organization  societies,  214 
Charlemagne,  46 
Charles,  Thos.,  126 
Children,  care  and  training  of,  133- 

150 

Children,  institutional  care  of  de- 
pendent, 144;  placing-out  sys- 
tem, 145;  conclusions  of  Wash- 
ington Conference,  148 

Children's  aid  societies,  147,  148 

247 


248 


INDEX 


Children's    Aid    Society    of    New 

York,  144,  147 
Children,  invalid,  203 
Christian  art  societies,  133 
Christian  inns  for  men,   161;    for 

women,  177,  219 
Christian  kindergarten,  136 
Christian  literature,  circulation  of, 

129 

Christianity  Society,  54 
Chrysostom,  43,  208 
Church  orders  and  their  provisions, 

48  ff.,  140 

City  conditions,  in,  116  ff. 
City  congregations,  120 
City  missions,  116  ff.,  Lutheran,  in 

the  United  States,  119,  243 
Committee  of  Fifteen,  174 
Congregational  charity,  35  ff. 
Conolly,  Dr.  J.,  201 
Constantinople,  church  at,  43,  208 
Country  conditions,  113 
Craig  Colony  for  Epileptics,  199 
Criminals,  habitual,  190 
Cripples,  196 
Cyprian,  41 


Darmsfddter    Allg.    Kirchenzeitung, 

20 

Day  nurseries,  134 
Deaconess  houses  in  Kaiserswerth 

Union,  231;    in  the  U.  S.,  237; 

fields  of  labor,  235 
Deaconess  ordination  prayer,  89 
Deaconesses  in  hospitals,  193 
Deacons  and  deaconesses  as  war 

nurses,  221 
Deaf-mutes,  195 
Defectives,  192-204 
Deinzer,  J.,  79 
Delinquents,  167-191 
Denison,  Edward,  225 
Denkschrift,  11,  12,  68,  101,  108, 

109,  112,  160,  187 
Depot  missions,  155 
Diaconate,  86;  modern  male,  91 

ff.;  modern  female,  93  ff. 
Diakonenkauser,  66,  91 
Diaspora  missions,  156 
Diesterweg,  F.  A.  D.,  20 


Disselhoff,  Julius,  79,  200 

Dissemination  of  the  Scriptures, 
125 

Dix,  Dorothea  L.,  202 

Domestics,  schools  for,  150;  shel- 
ters for,  152 

Dunant,  Dr.  Henri,  221 

Duty  of  pastors,  123,  175 


ECCLESIASTICAL  embroidery,  133 

Eisenacher  Bund,  in 

Elberfeld  system,  214 

Emigrant  missions,  157 

Encouragement  of  thrift,  223 

Enfeebled  and  convalescent,  the, 
202 

Ephraim,  43 

Epileptics,  197 

Erziehungsvereine,  147 

Eusebius,  38 

Evangelical  workingmen's  socie- 
ties, 222 

Evangelists,  no 

Evangelization,  108 


Fabrikarbeiterinnenheime,  152 

Falk,  J.,  58,  132,  168 

Fliedner,  Theo.,  62,  69-73,  93,  137, 

151,  152,  176,  184,  186,  193,  202 
Fluss-schiffer-mission,  165 
Francke,  A.  H.,  50,  132,  141,  146 
Francke  institutions,  51,  146 
Franklin,  Benj.,  186 
Franklin  Home,  183 
Frauenheime,  177,  219 
Frederick  William  IV.,  62,  78,  187 
Fritschel,  S.,  quoted,  74 
Frobel  kindergarten,  137 
Frohlich,  J.  K.  H.,  79 
Fry,  Elizabeth,  61,  70,  183 


Gemeindepflege  36,  49,  207 
Gemeinschaftsbewegung,  in 
Geneva  Convention,  221 
German  Bible  societies,  125  ff. 
Girls'  homes,  152 
Glasgow  City  Mission,  117 
Gnadauer  Konferenz,  in 


INDEX 


249 


Goodchild,  F.  M.,  quoted,  172,  174 
Good  Shepherd  Home,  197 
Good  Templars,  178,  180 
Gossner,  J.,  78 
Gothenburg  system,  181 
Gotteskasten,  159 
Gregory  the  Great,  43 
Gronau,  I.  C.,  51 
Grossmann,  C.  G.  L.,  156 
Guggenbiihl,  Dr.  L.,  200 
Gustav- Adolf  Society,  156 
Guthrie,  Thos.,  80,  169 


HALLE  (Francke)   institutions,  51, 

146 

Hamburg  City  Mission,  118 
Hanna,  Wm.,  quoted,  62 
Harms,  Claus,  20 
Harms,  Ludwig,  105 
Harter,  F.  H.,  78 
Hatch,  Edwin,  quoted,  114 
Hauge,  H.  N.,  63 
Haiiy,  Val.,  195 
Heathenism,  33,  34,  35 
Heinersdorf,  Pastor,  219 
Heinicke,  Samuel,  195 
Heldring,  Otto  G.,  79,  176 
Helmuth,  J.  C.  H.,  186 
Henderson,  C.  R.,  quoted,  226 
Hennig,  M.,  quoted,  164 
Berber  gen  zur  Heimath,  161 
Heydt,  Daniel  von  der,  215 
Hill,  Dr.  R.  G.,  201 
Hollandsganger,  166 
Home  mission  problem,  124 
Homes  for  factory  girls,  152 
Hospices,  163 
Hospital  Brethren,  45 
Hospital  Sisters,  46 
Hospitals,  45,  192 
Housing  conditions,  222,  223 
Howard,  John,  60,  183,  184 


IDIOCY,  199 

Immorality,  warfare  against,  171 
Imperiled,  protection  of,  156-167 
Indeterminate  sentence  and  parole, 

189 
Individual  responsibility,  122 


Inebriate  asylums,  182 

Inner  Mission:  term,  12  ff.;  defini- 
tions, 13,  14,  21 ;  purpose,  15; 
aids  family,  Church,  and  State, 
15,  16;  methods,  16;  not  merely 
humanitarian,  17;  a  missionary 
force,  17;  seeks  to  enlist  entire 
body  of  believers,  18;  indepen- 
dent of  State  Churches,  19; 
branch  of  Practical  Theology,  20; 
courses  of  instruction,  20,  104; 
at  first  opposed,  20;  needed  in 
America,  21;  New  Testament 
basis,  22-32;  parables  of  Christ, 
26-29;  other  sayings  of  Christ, 
29-32;  preliminary  history,  33 
ff.;  Pietism  not  its  real  source, 
53;  immediate  antecedents,  54 
ff.;  systematic  development,  64 
ff.;  organs,  85-107;  societies  in 
the  U.  S.,  101,  243 


INSANITY,  201 

Institutions,  102 

Intemperance,  177;  methods  of 
dealing  with,  178  ff.;  Gothen- 
burg system,  181 ;  asylums  for  in- 
ebriates, 182 

International  Prison  Congress,  186 

Iowa  Synod,  74 

Isermeyer,  Pastor,  220 

Itinerant  preaching,  108  ff.,  112 


JACOBS,  H.  E.,  quoted,  52, 106, 139, 

179 

Jerome,  43 

Jerusalem,  church  at,  35  ff.,  86 
Johannesstift,  68,  187 

udaism,  33,  34,  35 

iilius.  Dr.  N.  H.,  65 

ruvenile  court,  190 

iuvenile  delinquency,  167 


KAISERSWERTH,  69,  71 
Kellnerheime,  165 
Kellnermission,  164 
Kiessling,  J.  T.,  56 
Kinderfreund  societies,  147,  239 


250 


INDEX 


Kindergottesdienst,  141 
Kinder  horte,  143 
Kinderlehre,  140 
Kirchlich-soziale  Konferenz,  in 
Klein,  Job.  Wilh.,  195 
Kleinkinderschule,  136 
Klonne,  Pastor,  93 
Knabenarbeitsanstalten,  143 
Knights  of  St.  John,  46 
Knudsen,  Hans,  79,  197 
Kobelt,  K.  U.,  76 
Komitee  fur  evang.  Gemeinschafts- 

pjlege,  in 

Kottwitz,  Baron  von,  59,  65 
Krafft,  Prof.,  73 
Krummacher,  Karl,  79 
Kuhlo,Pastor,  132 
Kurtz,  J.  H.,  quoted,  44,  131 
Kurz,  J.  N.  von,  196 


LABOR  colonies  for  men,  216;  for 

women,  220 
Lankenau,  J.  D.,  98 
Lankenau  School  for  Girls,  98 
Laurentius,  41 
Lay  preaching,  34,  44,  114 
Lehmann,  E.  G.,  13 
1'Epee,  C.  M.,  195 
Lightfoot,  Bishop,  quoted,  88,  175 
Lindenhof,  76 
Lindner,  B.,  20 
Lintorf,  182 

Little  children's  schools,  136 
Lohe,  Wilh.,  20,  73  fif.,  96,  132,  133 
London  City  Mission,  117 
Lost,  saving  of  the,  167-192 
Liicke,  Prof.  Fr.,  12,  65 
Ludwig  of  Thuringia,  46 
Lungstras,  Miss  B.,  177 
Luthardt,  Chr.  E.,  quoted,  33,  36, 

47,  171 

Luther,  47,  127,  150;  on  adminis- 
tration of  charity,  49;  on  lay 
preaching,  114;  on  music,  131; 
on  Christian  art,  132 

Lutheran  Inner  Mission  institu- 
tions and  societies  in  the  U.  S., 
237 

Lutherhof,  58,  132 

Luther  Hospice,  164 


Madchenheime,  152 
Magdalen  homes,  175 
Magdeherbergen,  152 
Mansfield  House,  226 
Marbeau,  F.,  134 
Marthashof,  151,  152 
Mary  J.  Drexel  Home,  98 
Material  support,  105 
Meurer,  Moritz,  133 
Mez,  Karl,  75,  153 
Milwaukee  Motherhouse,  98 
Mission  Priests,  50 
Missions  among  rivermen,  165 
Missions  among  waiters,  164 
Missouri  Synod,  74 
Monatsschrift,  78 
More,  Hannah,  128 
Muhlenberg,  H.  M.,  51,  141 
Muhlenberg,  W.  A.,  85 
Miiller,  Geo.,  105,  147 
Minister,  Fredericke,  70 
Music  and  art,  131 


NASMITH,  David,  63,  117 

Nathusius,  Philipp  and  Marie,  76 

National  Children's  Home  Society, 
148 

Naturalverpftegungsstationen,  218 

Neander,  J.  A.  W.,  65 

Neinstedt,  76 

Neuendettelsau,  73,  74,  96,  133 

New  Jersey  State  Village  for  Epi- 
leptics, 199 

New  York  City  Mission  and  Tract 
Society,  119 

New  York  Grand  Jury  present- 
ment, 173 

Nicum,  John,  no 

Nightingale,  Florence,  193,  221 

Ninck,  C.  W.  T.,  79,  169 


OBERLIN,  J.  F.,  58,  137 

Oberlinhaus,  137,  197 

Official  representatives,  103 

O'Hara,  Kate  R.,  173 

Ohio  State  Hospital  for  Epileptics, 

199 

Olympias,  43 
Oncken,  J.  G.,  66,  141 


INDEX 


251 


Oosterzee,  J.  J.  van,  quoted,  47 
Orphans'  homes,  146 
Overdyk,  59 


PARAMENTIC,  133 

Parish  diaconate,  208  ff 

Parish  needs  and  their  relief,  207 

Parochial  schools  in  U.  S.,  Luth- 
eran, 141 

Parole,  189 

Passavant  Homes  for  Epileptics, 
199 

Passavant,  W.  A.,  84,  98 

Pastors,  responsibility  of,  123,  175 

Peabody,  F.  G.,  quoted,  205,  206 

Pennsylvania  Prison  Society,  185 

Pennsylvania  system,  188 

Penny  and  School  Saving  Fund,  223 

People's  libraries,  129 

Periodicals  and  papers,  128 

Perthes,  C.  T.,  78,  161 

Pestalozzi,  J.  H.,  56,  168 

Petri,  L.  A.,  20,  79 

Physical  and  mental  defectives,  192 
ff. 

Pietism,  50  ff. 

Pinel,  Dr.  Phillipe,  201 

Pittsburgh  Infirmary,  98 

Pittsburgh  Survey,  116 

Plautus,  quoted,  35 

Pliny  the  Younger,  letter  of,  89 

Plutschau,  H.,  51 

Poor,  care  of,  211 

Poor  relief,  methods  o£,  212 

Poor  societies,  213 

Poverty,  causes  of,  211 

Preaching,  19,  23,  33,  41,  44,  47, 
io8ff. 

Printed  sermons,  128 

Prison  construction  and  methods, 
i88ff. 

Prison  reform,  183 

Prison  societies,  61,  70,  185,  186 

Prisoners,  discharged,  189 

Prisoners,  former  treatment  of,  184 

Prisoners,  reformation  of,  188  ff. 

Prisons,  former  condition  of,  184 

Probation,  juvenile,  190;  adult, 
191 

Problem  of  the  country,  113 


Prostitution,  causes  and  results,  171 
ff.;  efforts  to  control,  174;  Com- 
mittee of  Fifteen,  174;  instruc- 
tion by  parents,  174;  by  pastors, 
175;  Magdalen  homes,  175 

Protection  of  the  imperiled,  156- 
167 

Protestant  Episcopal  City  Mission, 
Philadelphia,  119 


QUINTILIAN,  quoted,  35 


RAGGED  schools,  80,  169 

Raiffeisen,  F.  W.,  224 

Raikes,  Robert,  139 

Ranke,  J.  F.,  137 

Rastenberg  Epileptic  Colony,  198 

Rauhes  Haus,  12,  66,  68,  91,  169 

Rautenberg,  Pastor,  66,  141 

Recke-Volmarstein,  Count  von  der, 
59,  168 

Red  Cross  Society,  221 

Reeder,  Dr.  R.  R.,  quoted,  149, 168 

Reformation  principles,  47  ff. 

Reichardt,  Gertrude,  71 

Relief  stations,  218 

Religious  population  in  U.  S.,  no 

Religious  Tract  Society,  London, 
128 

Rescue  homes,  167 

Responsibility  of  city  congrega- 
tions, I2Off. 

Rhenish-Westphalian  Deaconess 
Association,  71 

Rhenish-Westphalian  Prison  So- 
ciety, 70,  187 

Richardson,  Mrs.  Anna  B.,  quoted, 
146 

Riehen,  55 

Rochat,  Pastor,  180 

Rush,  Benj.,  186 


Sachsenganger,  166 
Samariterhaus,  197 
Saving  of  the  lost,  167-192 
Schafer,  Theo.,  78;  quoted,  14,  21, 

IO7,  112,  172 

Scheppler,  Louise,  137 


252 


INDEX 


Schleiermacher,  65 

Schmauk,  T.  E.,  139,  141 

Schmid-Schwarzberg,  Prof.,  143 

Schodde,  G.  H.,  quoted,  228  ff. 

Schools  for  domestics,  150 

Schoost,  Pastor,  203 

Schultz,  Aug.  G.  F.,  79 

Schultze,  B.,  51 

Schwartz,  C.  F.,  51 

Seamen's    mission    societies,    159, 

160 

Seamen's  missions,  158 
Seguin,  Dr.  E.,  200 
Seneca,  quoted,  35 
Settlements,  224 
Shaftsbury,  Lord,  80,  82 
Shelters    and    industrial    schools, 

X43 

Shelters  for  domestics,  152;  for 
betrayed  girls,  177 

Sick  and  defective,  192-204 

Sieveking,  Amalie,  60 

Sisters  of  Charity,  49 

Slums,  124 

Smith,  Geo.  C.,  159 

Social  ills,  conflict  with,  204-227; 
causes  of  204  ff. 

Society  Against  Abuse  of  Spirituous 
Drinks,  181 

Spangenberg,  Bishop,  51 

Spener,  Ph.  J.,  141 

Spittler,  Chr.  F.,  55 

St.  Elizabeth,  46 

St.  Francis  of  Assisi,  44,  46 

St.  Luke's  Hospital,  London,  201 

Stanley,  Dean,  quoted,  88 

Steinkopf,  Fr.  A.,  125 

Stetten  Epileptic  Colony,  198 

Stevenson,  W.  F.,  quoted,  168 

Stocker,  Adolf,  17,  118,  128 

Strong,  Josiah,  quoted,  121,  125 

Sunday  rest  and  observance,  pro- 
motion of,  223 

Sunday  schools,  139 

Sutter,  Julie,  quoted,  215,  216,  219 


TANNENHOF,  202 
Temperance  societies,  178 
Teutonic  Knights,  46 
Thirty  Years'  War,  50 


Toynbee,  Arnold,  225 

Toynbee  Hall,  225 

Tract  societies,  55,  128 

Tracts,  127 

Training  and  preservation  of  young 


Tre 


people,  150-156 

rench,  R.  C.,  quoted,  28 


UHLHORN,  Gerhard,  13, 77;  quoted, 

23,  26,  34,  38,  39 
Unchurched  population,  no 
Urlsperger,  J.  A.,  54 


Versorgungshauser,  177 
Vincent  de  Paul,  49 
Volkening,  Pastor,  132 
Volunteer  helpers,  104 
Vorberg,  Dr.  Gaston,  quoted,  172 


W  ACKER,  Emil,  quoted,  94,  209, 
210 

Wagner,  Scott  R.,  quoted,  122 

Waldus,  Peter,  44 

Wallace,  I.  M.,  quoted,  129 

Walzeck,  Prof.,  137 

War  and  pestilence,  needs  occa- 
sioned by,  221 

Warneck,  G.,  13 

Warner,  Amos  G.,  quoted,  48,  145, 
171,  214 

Warteschule,  136 

Werner,  Aug.  H.,  79,  203 

Werner,  Gustav,  79 

White,  Bishop,  186 

White  Cross  Society,  175 

White  slave  traffic,  172 

Wichern,  J.  H.,  n,  62,  64,  65  ff., 
132,  160,  169,  170,  175,  184,  187; 
quoted,  12,  13,  15,  18,  19,  108- 
110,  112,  160,  161, 175,  187' 

Wiclif,  44 

Widener  Home,  197 

Wilhelmsdorf,  217 

Willson,  Dr.  Rob.  N.,  quoted,  173 

Woodruff,  Albert,  141 

Woods,  Rob.  A.,  225 

Wurster,  Paul,  quoted,  14,  53 

Wiirttemberger  Kaslenordnung,  49 


INDEX 


253 


YOUNG  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion, 154 

Young  men's  societies,  153 

Young  people,  training  and  preser- 
vation of,  150-156 

Young  women's  societies,  155 


ZELLER,  C.  A.,  168 
Zeller,  C.  H.,  57,  132,  168 
Ziegenbalg,  B.,  51 
Zimmermann,  Court-preacher,  157 
Zinzendorf,  Nicholas,  51 


UNIVE^SIT*    OF  C  ..jjIFOBNIA  LIBRARY 


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